Hyattsville Mennonite Church (Hyattsville, Maryland, USA)
Hyattsville Mennonite Church in Hyattsville, Maryland, USA was established in 1952 by young adults who had moved to the Washington, DC area from various Mennonite communities. Over the years Voluntary Service volunteers (VSers) and young adults have played an important role in the congegation, with many staying in the area and entering professional life. The church has been involved in local service projects with the homeless and hungry, adults with developmental disabilities, and was the sponsoring congregation of the International Guest House.
It began in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., then moved to the Woodridge neighborhood of northeast D.C. before settling in its current location in the suburb of Hyattsville, Maryland in 1959 under the name First Mennonite Church. By 1982 it was known as Hyattsville Mennonite Church.
The church described itself as "a Christ-centered welcoming church committed to peace and justice, beauty and hospitality. Hyattsville Mennonite is an urban Christian congregation committed to making Mennonite traditions and beliefs relevant in the cultural setting of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area."
In 2005, Allegheny Mennonite Conference (AMC) delegates voted to keep Hyattsville as nonvoting members and to not allow members of the congregation to hold elected positions in AMC or in Mennonite Church USA. The reason for this, according to the 2005 resolution, was that Hyattsville had been found to be "inconsistent with the Membership Guidelines of Mennonite Church USA." Delegates had expressed concerns about the congregation’s membership practices as they related to individuals involved in same-sex relationships.
In March 2015 the Allegheny Mennonite Conference voted 72-70 to reinstate Hyattsville Mennonite Church as a voting member of the conference. The resolution reinstating the congregation stated that the Conference was "willing to live together with theological disagreements, using the 1995 Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective as a guiding document, not a disciplinary document.”
In 2014 the church had 140 members and was a member of the Allegheny Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA. The minister was Cynthia A. Lapp.
Bibliography
Green, Emma. "Gay and Mennonite: They vote on everything. They’re committed to peace. Can a church that defines itself by harmony survive dissonance over homosexuality? "The Atlantic 18 March 2015. Web. 27 September 2021. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/03/gay-and-mennonite/388060/.
Houser, Gordon. "Allegheny Narrowly Votes to Reinstate Hyattsville." The Mennonite. 9 March 2015. Web. 9 March 2015. https://anabaptistworld.org/allegheny-votes-to-reinstate-hyattsville/.
Additional Information
Address: 4217 East-West Highway, Hyattsville, MD 20782
Phone: 301-927-7327
Website: https://hyattsvillemennonite.org/
Denominational Affiliation:
Allegheny Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at the Hyattsville Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| C. Nevin Miller (1927-1993) | 1952-1956 |
| John R. Martin (1928-2021) | 1957-1960 |
| Kenneth G. Good (1910-1997) | 1960-1971 |
| Mark Derstine | 1972-1974 |
| Robert N. Johnson (1932-1990) | 1976-1980 |
| Robert L. Shreiner | 1981-1984 |
| Mary Ann Shreiner | 1982-1984 |
| Alan Moore-Beitler | 1987-1993? |
| Melvin D. Schmidt | 1993?-2004? |
| Cynthia A. Lapp | 2003-present |
| Joe Roos | 2004-2006? |
Membership at the Hyattsville Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 23 |
| 1960 | 46 |
| 1970 | 107 |
| 1980 | 102 |
| 1990 | 119 |
| 2001 | 138 |
| 2007 | 130 |
| 2020 | 148 |
| Author(s) | Richard D. Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Samuel J. Steiner | |
| Date Published | September 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. and Samuel J. Steiner. "Hyattsville Mennonite Church (Hyattsville, Maryland, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. September 2021. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hyattsville_Mennonite_Church_(Hyattsville,_Maryland,_USA)&oldid=172405.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. and Samuel J. Steiner. (September 2021). Hyattsville Mennonite Church (Hyattsville, Maryland, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hyattsville_Mennonite_Church_(Hyattsville,_Maryland,_USA)&oldid=172405.
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