North Leo Church (Leo, Indiana, USA)
The North Leo Mennonite Church, Leo, Indiana, began as a church plant of the Leo Mennonite Church. Groundbreaking services for the new building were held on 22 August 1965; services began in September 1966. It was dedicated on 4 June 1967. The sanctuary seated approximately 375, with additional room in a balcony. Other facilities included a fellowship hall with a complete kitchen, a mothers' room, a pastor's study, and a basement with Sunday school rooms.
North Leo hired an African American pastor to lead the all-white congregation in 1992. While hailed as ground-breaking at the time, the effort did not last beyond 1993.
The North Leo Mennonite Church withdrew from the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA in 2020 and joined LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches. In 2020, the congregation also changed its name to North Leo Church.
Bibliography
"Atwood starts." Gospel Herald 85, no. 17 (28 April 1992): 13.
"Ground-breaking services...." Gospel Herald 58, no. 35 (7 September 1965): 791.
"North Leo, Leo, Ind." Gospel Herald 60, no. 23 (13 June 1967): 524.
Preheim, Rich. In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. Harrisonburg, Va.: Herald Press, 2016: 293-294, 311.
Additional Information
Address: 15419 IN-1, Leo, Indiana 46765
Telephone: 260-627-2149
Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064754915961&locale=id_ID
Denominational Affiliations:
Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference (Until 2020)
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2020)
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches (2020- )
Pastoral Leaders at North Leo Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Carl J. Rudy (1927-2022) | 1966-1967 |
| Merle G. Stoltzfus (1929-2022) | 1968-1970 |
| Alvin R. Beachy (1929-2017) | 1970-1977 |
| Raymond G. Erb (1933-2018) | 1977-1984 |
| Kenneth Bontreger (1948- ) | 1984-1990 |
| Local Leadership | 1990-1992 |
| Timothy Atwood | 1992-1993 |
| Douglas J. Zehr | 1994-2008 |
| Paul D. Leichty (Music) | 1999-2000 |
| Miriam R. Zehr (Family Life) | 2000-2008 |
| Jonathan Larson (Intentional Interim) | 2009-2010 |
| Marshall Anderson | 2010-2016 |
| Conrad Mast | 2016-2020 |
| Steven Showers | 2020- |
North Leo Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1968 | 181 |
| 1970 | 247 |
| 1980 | 263 |
| 1990 | 222 |
| 2000 | 162 |
| 2009 | 153 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | July 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "North Leo Church (Leo, Indiana, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2024. Web. 7 Apr 2025. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Leo_Church_(Leo,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179294.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (July 2024). North Leo Church (Leo, Indiana, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 7 April 2025, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Leo_Church_(Leo,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179294.
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