Burr Oak Community Church (Rensselaer, Indiana, USA)
The Burr Oak Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA) is located in Rensselaer, Indiana. In May 1918 J. K. Bixler of the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Mission Board first visited this field and met with the six members that were here at that time. For the first five years, ministers were sent to hold services about once a month. During this time the services were held in a schoolhouse, a vacant dwelling, and in a Baptist church. In 1925 with the help of the mission board a church, 24 x 38, was built. It was dedicated on 4 October of the same year, at which time Floyd Weaver of the Yellow Creek congregation (Indiana) was ordained. At this time there were 16 members. In 1945 Weaver resigned as pastor on account of his health; Henry J. Stoll was asked to take charge of the work, and was ordained in 1951. The membership in 1953 was 57, and the congregation was now fully organized under the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. It was largely Amish in background.
There have been additions to the original building in 1952, 1966 and 1987. In 2009 there were 71 members; the pastors were Philip D. and Virginia Leichty.
In 2016 the Burr Oak congregation left the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. This move was part of a larger realignment of Mennonite congregations in the 2010s that were formerly part of Mennonite Church USA. These congregations were unhappy with Mennonite Church USA's failure to take stronger disciplinary actions against area conferences and congregations who expressed openness to inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. Burr Oak became a member of the Evana Network.
Additional Information
Address: 11506 West 200 S, Rensselaer, Indiana
Phone: 219-394-2339
Website: http://www.burroakchurch.com/
Denominational/Network Affiliations
Maps
Map:Burr Oak Mennonite Church (Rensselaer, Indiana)
| Author(s) | Henry J Stoll |
|---|---|
| Sam Steiner | |
| Date Published | 1953 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Stoll, Henry J and Sam Steiner. "Burr Oak Community Church (Rensselaer, Indiana, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Burr_Oak_Community_Church_(Rensselaer,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=161050.
APA style
Stoll, Henry J and Sam Steiner. (1953). Burr Oak Community Church (Rensselaer, Indiana, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Burr_Oak_Community_Church_(Rensselaer,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=161050.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 479. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.