Bethany Mennonite Church (Kingman, Kansas, USA)
Bethany Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite Church) was located 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Kingman, Kansas, in the Western District Conference. The congregation was organized in 1907 by the first pastor C. J. Voran.
In 1929, twelve families withdrew from the Bethany Mennonite Church and formed the Zion Mennonite Church. Issues leading to the division included working on Sunday and observance of the rite of feetwashing.
The first church was built in 1907, burned in 1930, and a new frame building was built in 1932. Because the Mennonite community had grown to the south, and in order to locate near better roads, the group voted to build a new building 1/2 mile west and three miles south of the original location. Dissatisfaction with this decision led to 32 additional people withdrawing their membership from Bethany.
The congregation merged with the Zion Mennonite Church in 1973 to form the Kingman Mennonite Church. The first service as the new congregation took place 6 May 1973.
Bibliography
Voran, Willard M. History of the Kingman Mennonite Church. Kingman, Kan.: The Church, 1979.
Additional Information
Address: Route 3, Kingman, Kansas
Telephone:
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)
Western District Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Cornerstone Fellowship
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Christian J. Voran (1866-1946) | 1907-1925 |
| Solomon Mouttet (1891-1953) | 1925-1931 |
| Bernard H. Janzen (1896-2004) | 1932-1935 |
| Elmer J. Neuenschwander (1882-1959) | 1935-1945 |
| Herbert E. Miller (1908-2000) | 1946-1949 |
| Frank W. Loewen (1914-2003) | 1949-1952 |
| Peter P. "P. P." Tschetter (1886-1976) | 1952-1960 |
| Peter J. Neufeld (1929-2018) | 1960-1967 |
| Robert Friesen (Interim) | 1967-1968 |
| Peter E. Funk (1932-2024) | 1969-1973 |
Bethany Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1930 | 113 |
| 1940 | 158 |
| 1950 | 177 |
| 1960 | 160 |
| 1970 | 152 |
| Author(s) | Herbert E. Miller |
|---|---|
| Samuel J. Steiner | |
| Date Published | 1953 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Miller, Herbert E. and Samuel J. Steiner. "Bethany Mennonite Church (Kingman, Kansas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 12 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethany_Mennonite_Church_(Kingman,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=180085.
APA style
Miller, Herbert E. and Samuel J. Steiner. (1953). Bethany Mennonite Church (Kingman, Kansas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 12 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethany_Mennonite_Church_(Kingman,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=180085.
©1996-2026 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.