Zion Bible Church (Bridgewater, South Dakota, USA)
The Neu Hutterthaler Mennonite Church near Bridgewater, South Dakota, had several meeting places during its earlier existence. One of these was three miles northeast of Bridgewater, where 10 families worshipped in homes and schools until 1913, when the group erected a small church.
In 1920 some members purchased a former 1883 Methodist church building in Bridgewater. More people began attending, and in 1928 Michael J. Hofer became the group's minister. In 1940 he filed a charter officially organizing Zion as a self-sustaining congregation. It became a member of the Northern District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church, but did not join the General Conference itself.
The congregation purchased a parsonage in 1950 and built a second parsonage in 1981. It erected a new church building on the north edge of town in 1972-73, with dedication services held on 22 July 1973.
As part of the realignment of the Mennonite Church (MC) and General Conference Mennonite Church into Mennonite Church USA, Zion Mennonite was among the congregations that joined the new Central Plains Mennonite Conference in 2000.
Zion Mennonite was last listed in the 2003 Mennonite Church USA Directory. The congregation voted to leave the denomination and continue as a Bible-based independent Mennonite church.
On 6 March 2022, the congregation changed its name to Zion Bible Church and identified itself as a non-denominational Bible church.
Bibliography
"More about our church." Zion Bible Church. Web. 25 September 2023. https://thezionchurch.com/who-we-are/.
Schmidt, Diena, ed. The Northern District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church 1891-1991. Freeman, S.D.: The Conference, 1991: 154-155.
Additional Information
Address: 950 North Main Avenue, Bridgewater, South Dakota 57319
Phone: 605-729-2301
Website: https://thezionchurch.com/
Denominational Affiliations: Northern District Conference
General Conference Mennonite Church
Central Plains Mennonite Conference (until 2003?)
Mennonite Church USA (until 2003?)
Pastoral Leaders at Zion Bible Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Michael J. Hofer (1885-1980) | 1913-1949 |
| Peter P. Tschetter (1886-1976) | 1920-? |
| Paul Quenzer | 1950-1954 |
| Paul Dahlenberg (1915-2009) | 1954-1960 |
| Abraham Friesen | 1960-1964 |
| Melvin Koehn | 1964-1974 |
| Arlie Rauch | 1975-1977 |
| John J. Hofer | 1979-1990 |
| George K. Kaufman (1941-2011) | 1990-2001? |
| Matt Leopold | 2001?-? |
Zion Bible Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1940 | 22 |
| 1950 | 33 |
| 1960 | 44 |
| 1970 | 57 |
| 1980 | 73 |
| 1990 | 86 |
| 2000 | 85 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Paul Dahlenberg. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1033. All rights reserved.
Zion Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite), Bridgewater, South Dakota, is a member of the Northern District Conference, but not of the General Conference. With its background in the Hutterian immigration of the 1870s, it was organized in 1940. It is located in Bridgewater. In 1958 Paul Dahlenburg was pastor of its 45 members.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | September 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Zion Bible Church (Bridgewater, South Dakota, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. September 2023. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Zion_Bible_Church_(Bridgewater,_South_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=177619.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (September 2023). Zion Bible Church (Bridgewater, South Dakota, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Zion_Bible_Church_(Bridgewater,_South_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=177619.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.