Walnut Hill Mennonite Church (Goshen, Indiana, USA)
As early as 1950, North Goshen Mennonite Church members held Sunday school in homes in the area of Goshen north of Middlebury Street, but this work ended.
In October 1955, Goshen College students surveyed the Walnut Hill area of Goshen. The students began a Sunday school with Marvin J. Miller as the superintendent. Initially, the Sunday school was held in his home.
Ground was broken on 16 October 1956 for a small meetinghouse at the corner of North Sixth Street and Wilden Avenue. The new building began to be used in August 1957. It was finally dedicated on 25 May 1958 as the Walnut Hill Chapel. It completed an addition in 1968.
Three families formed the core of a new Walnut Creek congregation in 1959. Marvin Miller was licensed to pastor the church in January 1960.
In 1967, the congregation established the Walnut Hill Day Care Center. The daycare center remained in the North Goshen neighborhood until the Walnut Hill Chapel building burned on 28 October 1989. This disaster forced the Walnut Hill Chapel to clarify its mission. It decided to build a larger meetinghouse and renamed itself Walnut Hill Mennonite Church. It dedicated the new building in January 1991. In the interim, Walnut Hill worshipped in the fellowship hall of the North Goshen Mennonite Church.
In January 1993, Walnut Hill started Hesed House to reach young unwed mothers in crisis. It was an active ministry until June 2005.
In November 1995, Walnut Hill welcomed the Interfaith Hospitality Network for the Homeless. This program provided shelter for and extended hospitality to homeless families in Goshen.
In 2000, the congregation started Peacemakers, a program to train youth to prevent violence and transform conflict.
In 2023, Walnut Hill Mennonite Church shared its building weekly with outside groups, including Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon meetings and a Music Together class. A Spanish-speaking Seventh Day Adventist congregation met weekly in their building on Saturdays.
Bibliography
"Fire-damaged church rebuilt." Gospel Herald 84, no. 12 (19 March 1991): 12.
"Fire destroys church." Gospel Herald 82, no. 48 (28 November 1989): 853.
Gladish, Clayton. "The Sacred becomes the shared." Gospel Evangel (October-December 2023): 1-3.
"History of mission at Walnut Hill." Walnut Hill Mennonite Church. 2020? Web. 21 August 2024. http://www.walnuthillmennonitechurch.com/history.html.
Miller, Randall C. "A culture of call and affirmation at Walnut Hill." Gospel Evangel (January-March 2024): 3.
Preheim, Rich. In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. Harrisonburg, Va.: Herald Press, 2016: 312.
Thomas, Steve and Jane Stoltzfus Buller. "Walnut Hill Mennonite." Gospel Evangel 87, no. 8 (December 2006): 11.
"Walnut Hill Mennonite Church." Gospel Herald 83, no. 30 (24 July 1990): 516.
Wenger, John Christian. The Mennonites in Indiana and Michigan. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1961: 221-222.
Additional Information
Address: 909 North Sixth Street, Goshen, Indiana 46528
Telephone: 574-533-8023
Website: http://www.walnuthillmennonitechurch.com/
Denominational Affiliations:
Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Walnut Hill Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Goshen College students | 1955-1959 |
| Marvin J. Miller (1928-2008) | 1959-1983 |
| Harold G. Kreider (1924-2022) | 1976-1982 |
| Dean G. Slagel (1926-2019) | 1976-1982 |
| Jock Tolmay | 1983-1988 |
| Pam Tolmay (1945-2021) | 1986-1988 |
| Laurence M. Horst (1915-2011)(Interim) | 1988-1990 |
| Lloyd R. Miller (1920-2011) | 1989?-1992? |
| Stephen B. Thomas | 1990-2010 |
| Jane Stoltzfus Buller | 1995-2019 |
| Randall Miller (Transitional) | 2010-2012 |
| Brent Siegrist (Associate) | 2012-2016 |
| Benjamin R. Bouwman | 2017- |
| Carmen S. Horst | 2020- |
Walnut Hill Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 8 |
| 1970 | 25 |
| 1980 | 63 |
| 1990 | 75 |
| 2000 | 113 |
| 2009 | 112 |
| 2020 | 123 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | August 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Walnut Hill Mennonite Church (Goshen, Indiana, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2024. Web. 22 Aug 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Walnut_Hill_Mennonite_Church_(Goshen,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179501.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (August 2024). Walnut Hill Mennonite Church (Goshen, Indiana, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 August 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Walnut_Hill_Mennonite_Church_(Goshen,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179501.
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