English Lake Church (North Judson, Indiana, USA)
In 1948, members of the Hopewell Mennonite Church surveyed the English Lake community in Railroad Township, Starke County, Indiana for the presence of evangelical churches. Hopewell began a Summer Bible School in 1949 in an old four-room brick schoolhouse. That fall, the Hopewell congregation also began a Sunday school in English Lake. Emanuel S. Birky served as the superintendent until he was licensed as a minister in 1954.
In 1956, Hopewell bought the schoolhouse and lot, tore down the old school, and erected a new meetinghouse. The meetinghouse was dedicated on 20 April 1958. The congregation built a parsonage in 1974 and an addition to the meetinghouse the following year. The new congregation became the English Lake Mennonite Church.
In the 1970s, the charismatic movement profoundly impacted the English Lake congregation. Harold Gingerich of Topeka, Indiana, was instrumental in the early days of this. Paul Siddall led vanloads of hippies from Valparaiso to English Lake in those years.
During the following years, the English Lake congregation joined Salt & Light Ministries, an international network of congregations with a charismatic inclination. It planted two churches in the 1980s--Cornerstone Community Church in Kouts, Indiana, and Living Word Church in Know, Indiana. It also changed its name to English Lake Church.
In 1993, English Lake withdrew from the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference of the Mennonite Church (MC). It then identified itself as a nondenominational church.
Bibliography
Preheim, Rich. In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. Harrisonburg, Va.: Herald Press, 2016: 308.
Rooted: The Tour: The Story of English Lake Church. North Judson, Ind.: The Church, 2013?. Web. 11 May 2024. https://www.englishlakechurch.com/about-us/the-history-of-elc/.
Wenger, John Christian. The Mennonites in Indiana and Michigan. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1961: 234.
Additional Information
Address: 500 Lane Street, North Judson, Indiana 46366
Phone: 574-896-5009
Website: https://www.englishlakechurch.com/
Denominational Affiliations: Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference (Until 1993)
Mennonite Church (MC) (Until 1993)
Pastoral Leaders at English Lake Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Emanuel S. Birky (1900-1993) | 1949-1971 |
| Arthur R. Good | 1972-1990s? |
| Paul Siddall | 1979?-1984? |
| Steven Lucas | 1982-? |
| Scott Bradley | 1989-? |
English Lake Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 26 |
| 1970 | 42 |
| 1980 | 92 |
| 1990 | 147 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | May 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "English Lake Church (North Judson, Indiana, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2024. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=English_Lake_Church_(North_Judson,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=178833.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (May 2024). English Lake Church (North Judson, Indiana, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=English_Lake_Church_(North_Judson,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=178833.
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