Parkview Mennonite Church (Kokomo, Indiana, USA)
The Kokomo Mennonite Mission in Kokomo, Indiana, resulted from a 1945 survey conducted by the Howard-Miami Mennonite Church. In May 1945, the Howard-Miami Church purchased a former church that had been converted to a residence on North Kennedy Street (later called 2443 N. Apperson Way). It began services on 21 October 1945. The congregation added classrooms in 1953 and 1954.
The Kokomo mission began maintaining its membership separately from Howard-Miami in 1951. By the mid-1950s, the mission began to be called the Bon Air Mennonite Church. The Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference of the Mennonite Church (MC) recognized Bon Air as an independent congregation in May 1960.
By the mid-1960s, the congregation had purchased five acres of land for a new church building. The new church was dedicated on 4 April 1971, when the congregation changed its name to Parkview Mennonite Church.
By 2015, Parkview was a small, very diverse, congregation, including farmers, laborers, seniors, and the homeless.
Bibliography
Bates-Oglesby, Kelly. "#WeAreMenno: Christians living out our faith through a Mennonite perspective." Mennonite Church USA. 24 August 2025. Web. 20 July 2024. https://www.mennoniteusa.org/wearemenno/wearemenno-christians-living-out-our-faith-through-a-mennonite-perspective/.
"Bon Air, Kokomo, Ind." Gospel Herald 60, no. 18 (9 May 1967): 404.
Elias, Lillian and Jacob. "Parkview Mennonite." Gospel Evangel 87, no. 3 (May/June 2006): 7.
Preheim, Rich. In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. Harrisonburg, Va.: Herald Press, 2016: 311.
Wenger, John Christian. The Mennonites in Indiana and Michigan. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1961: 231-232.
Additional Information
Address: 1382 East 100 North, Kokomo, Indiana 46901
Telephone: 765-459-5714
Website: https://www.facebook.com/ParkviewMennoniteKokomo/
Denominational Affiliations:
Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Parkview Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Howard-Miami leaders | 1945-1949 |
| Emanuel J. Hochstedler (1909-2006) | 1949-1954 |
| Clayton Sommers (1912-2010) (Bishop) |
1954-1961 1961-1971 1975-1976 |
| Lester Sutter (Assistant) | 1957-1959 |
| Walter E. Smeltzer (Assistant) | 1959-1963 |
| John E. Adams (1945-2006) | 1972-1975 |
| Everett G. Metzler (1930-2012) | 1976-1985 |
| Harold L. Mast (1935-2021) | 1983-1992 |
| Grace E. Whitehead | 1985-1995 |
| Edward T. Robbins, Jr. | 1996-2000 |
| Jacob W. Elias (Co-pastor) | 2001-2013 |
| Lillian E. Elias (Co-pastor) | 2001-2013 |
| Tillie Graber (Interim) | 2014-2015 |
| Kelly Bates-Oglesby (1962-2021)(Supply) | 2015-2016 |
| Lay Leadership | 2016-2019 |
| Mark Stahl | 2019-2023 |
| Lay Leadership | 2024- |
Parkview Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1951 | 6 |
| 1960 | 55 |
| 1970 | 67 |
| 1980 | 83 |
| 1990 | 80 |
| 2000 | 78 |
| 2009 | 60 |
| 2020 | 45 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | July 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Parkview Mennonite Church (Kokomo, Indiana, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2024. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Parkview_Mennonite_Church_(Kokomo,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179312.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (July 2024). Parkview Mennonite Church (Kokomo, Indiana, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Parkview_Mennonite_Church_(Kokomo,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179312.
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