Bowmansville Mennonite Church (East Earl, Pennsylvania, USA)
Source: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4395693
The first Mennonite settlers in Brecknock Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, were Jacob and Christian Good in 1738. Christian was a minister who was ordained prior to 1748. Christian Bauman/Bowman, a miller, and Ulrich Burkholder, a farmer, are also mentioned as serving as ministers for this Mennonite community prior to 1778, though ordination dates are unknown.
The congregation was organized by 1753, first worshiping in the two-story dwelling and mill owned by Christian Good. The congregation erected the first sandstone meetinghouse in 1794 at the crossroads that later became Bowmansville central square. For over 30 years, the building also served as a school. In 1875, the congregation built a new frame meetinghouse south of Bowmansville. It erected a larger building that it dedicated on 26 January 1922. The congregation was part of the Weaverland bishop district, and later the Bowmansville-Reading district. In 2021, the Bowmansville-Reading and Weaverland-NE districts merged to form the Valley-Mountain-PA East district.
When free public schools became the law in the 1840s, some members of the Bowmansville congregation disputed this to the extent of going to court. This action led to their excommunication. In 1848, they formed the Pine Grove Mennonite Church, which affiliated with the Eastern District Conference of Mennonites.
The Bowmansville congregation began Sunday school in 1893. In the 1920s, the congregation sent workers to teach at the new Reading Mennonite Mission.
Bibliography
Ruth, John L. The Earth is the Lord's: a narrative history of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2001: 264, 267, 1146
Weaver, Martin G. "Extracts of history of the Bowmansville Congregation in Lancaster County, Pa." Gospel Herald 14, no. 47 (23 February 1922): 922.
_____. Mennonites of Lancaster Conference: containing biographical sketches of Mennonite leaders, histories of congregations, missions, and Sunday schools, record of ordinations, and other interesting historical data. Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing House, 1931. Reprinted Ephrata, PA: Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church Publication Board, 1982: 144-150, 157, 285, 399-400. Available in full electronic text at https://archive.org/details/mennonitesoflanc00weav_0/page/n3/mode/2up.
Additional Information
Address: 129 Pleasant Valley Road, East Earl, Pennsylvania 17519
Telephone: 717-445-4449
Website: https://www.bowmansvillemennonite.org/
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2016)
Pastoral Leaders at Bowmansville Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Christian Bauman (1724-1790) | Bf. 1778-1790 |
| Ulrich Burkholder (1737-1804)(Bishop) | Bf. 1778-1804 |
| Joseph Bauman (1766-1849) (moved to Canada) |
1802-1816 |
| Christian Good (1779-1838) | 1813?-1838 |
| Joseph Gehman (1810-1894) | 1843-1855 |
| Jacob Mosemann (1795-1876)(Bishop) | 1854-1873 |
| Peter Musser (1820-1874) | 1860-1874 |
| Benjamin Horning (1823-1903) | 1867-1903 |
| Abraham B. Gehman (1848-1911) | 1874-1911 |
| Christian Stauffer (1823-1887) | 1877-1887 |
| Henry G. Good (1845-1915) | 1887-1915 |
| Noah B. Bowman (1874-1926) | 1901-1926 |
| Moses G. Gehman (1883-1962) | 1912-1962 |
| Isaac W. Geigley (1885-1946) | 1926-1946 |
| George G. Horning (1887-1943) | 1925-1943 |
| Benjamin F. Weaver (1898-1980) | 1944-1980 |
| Howard Z. Good (1891-1975) (Bishop) |
1945-1954 1954-1975 |
| Wilmer W. Leaman (Bishop) |
1963-1986 1986-2000? |
| Benjamin S. Brubacher | 1971-1988? |
| Kenneth R. Witmer | 1985-2005 |
| Keith N. Stoltzfus | 1988-1994? |
| Chester E. Yoder | 1989-2007 |
| Larry H. Weber (Associate) (Lead) (Associate) |
1994-2007 2008-2023 2023-2024? |
| Kelly G. Martin (Youth) | 2001?-2004 |
| Duane Ringler (Associate) | 2008-2016 |
| Kenneth D. Becker (Youth) (Associate) |
2004-2016? 2024- |
| R. Eugene Zimmerman (Interim Associate) | 2016 |
| Anthony "Tony" Witmer (Associate) (Lead) |
2017-2023 2023- |
| Brian Martin (Youth) | 2018- |
| Ricky Ringler (Community Outreach) | 2024- |
Bowmansville Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1907 (District) |
240 |
| 1915 (District) |
290 |
| 1920 (District) |
317 |
| 1930 (District) |
340 |
| 1940 (District) |
400 |
| 1950 (District) |
409 |
| 1960 | 372 |
| 1970 | 328 |
| 1980 | 330 |
| 1990 | 306 |
| 2000 | 291 |
| 2009 | 285 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Aaron M. Weber. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 399. All rights reserved.
Bowmansville Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA) in Brecknock Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, near Bowmansville, belongs to the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. The first Mennonite settlers were Jacob and Christian Good in 1738. The first preacher was Christian Bauman (1724-1790). The congregation was organized probably in 1752, first worshiping in the home of Christian Good. The first meetinghouse was built in 1794 in the village of Bowmansville, and the second in 1875 a mile (1.5 km) south of Bowmansville. In 1921 the third was built on the same spot. In 1851 in this congregation a division occurred over the free school system which left it in a weakened condition. In 1852 Bishop Jacob Mosemann (1795-1876) came from Trappstadt, Bavaria, Germany, to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and served in this congregation. His sermons were short, earnest, and convincing. The congregation took on new life near the close of his life. He ordained Benjamin Horning (1827-1903) as his successor in the ministry. Horning was one of the most eloquent pulpit orators of his day, the congregation growing in membership during his ministry. The 1953 membership was 427.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | October 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Bowmansville Mennonite Church (East Earl, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2024. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bowmansville_Mennonite_Church_(East_Earl,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=179956.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (October 2024). Bowmansville Mennonite Church (East Earl, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bowmansville_Mennonite_Church_(East_Earl,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=179956.
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