Plains Mennonite Church (Hatfield, Pennsylvania, USA)
Plains (for a time Plain) Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), located in Hatfield Township, west of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, is a congregation in the Franconia Mennonite Conference. The name is derived from the plain on which Lansdale is built. The first log school and meetinghouse was built between 1760 and 1769 on land contributed by Henry Frey. It remained in use until 1813, when a stone meetinghouse was built. A third stone building was erected in 1867, and the present stone (white stucco) building in 1922, Before the Revolutionary War the circuit system was in use. Bishop Isaac Kolb (1711-1776) is thought to have considered this his home church after 1764. He was ordained bishop in 1761. The first minister definitely known to have been or dained for this church was Jacob Krupp (1799-1842), ordained in 1816. Others who served this church were Joseph Cassel (1799-1868); Jacob Kulp (1798-1875), ordained minister 1838 and bishop in 1843; Jacob C. Loux (1822-95), ordained minister 1867; Henry Godshall (1834-1908), ordained 1874, relieved in 1905; Jonas Mininger (1852-1937), ordained minister 1895, bishop in 1905; Jacob C. Clemens (b. 1874), ordained 1906; John E. Lapp (1905-1988), ordained minister 1933, bishop 1937; Wayne Kratz (b. 1913), ordained 1949. Burials were made in the cemetery as early as about 1764. A Sunday school was organized in 1888. The last three of the above ministers were still serving in 1956, with a membership of 254.
Bibliography
Lichty, Richard J. Meetinghouse on the plain: Plains Mennonite congregation remembering 250 years. Hatfield, Pa.: The Congregation, 2015.
Wenger, J. C. History of the Mennonites of the Franconia Conference. Telford, 1937: 163-66.
Additional Information
Address: 50 W. Orvilla Road, Hatfield, PA 19440
'Phone'Bold text: 215-362-7640
Website: Plains Mennonite Church
Plains Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Isaac Kolb (1711-1776, Bishop) | 1764-1776 |
| David Ruth (d. 1820) | ?-1801 |
| John Krupp (1779-1842) | 1816-1842 |
| Joseph Cassel (1799-1868) | ?-1868 |
| Jacob Kulp (1798-1875) | 1838-1875 |
| Jacob C. Loux (1822-1895) | 1867-1895 |
| Henry Godshall (1834-1908) | 1874-1905 |
| Jonas Mininger (1852-1937) | 1895-1937 |
| Jacob C. Clemens (1874-1965) | 1906-1965 |
| John E. Lapp (1905-1988) | 1933-1988 |
| Wayne Kratz | 1949-1959 |
| Harvey Paul Yoder | 1966-1969 |
| Ross T. Bender (Associate) | 1970-1971 |
| Charles Shenk (Interim) | 1972-1973 |
| Gerald Studer | 1973-1990 |
| Richard J. Lichty | 1985-1986 |
| Michael A. Meneses | 1992-1998 |
| Hubert Schwartzentruber (Associate) | 1997-1999 |
| Paul Lederach (Interim) | 1998-1999 |
| Maribeth Longacre Benner (Associate) | 1998-2002 |
| Michael Derstine | 1999-present |
| Dawn Ranck Hower (Associate) | 2003-2014 |
| Paula Stoltzfus (Associate) | 2014-present |
Plains Mennonite Church Membership
| Yeart | Members |
|---|---|
| 1890 | 100 |
| 1915 | 150 |
| 1925 | 210 |
| 1935 | 250 |
| 1945 | 275 |
| 1955 | 260 |
| 1965 | 272 |
| 1975 | 256 |
| 1985 | 277 |
| 1995 | 269 |
| 2005 | 234 |
| 2015 | 180 |
| Author(s) | John E Lapp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Lapp, John E. "Plains Mennonite Church (Hatfield, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 23 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Plains_Mennonite_Church_(Hatfield,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=168844.
APA style
Lapp, John E. (1959). Plains Mennonite Church (Hatfield, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Plains_Mennonite_Church_(Hatfield,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=168844.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 184. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.