A checked version of this page, approved on 21 July 2025, was based on this revision.

Two rural congregations, the West Liberty Mennonite Church and the Yoder Mennonite Church, launched a mission in the city of Hutchinson in 1931. A Sunday school began in August 1931 in a home on East Park Street. In 1932, the outreach relocated to a Latter Day Saints building at C and Plum Streets. By December 1932, 33 people had requested baptism, and talk began about erecting a Mennonite meetinghouse. Consequently, the Missouri-Kansas Conference purchased property at C and Pershing Streets at Depression prices in a sheriff's sale. A basement church was dedicated on 27 August 1933.

In 1936, the church built a parsonage for mission workers, which was remodeled into an activity center in 1956. In 1937, the Hutchinson Mission Mennonite Church organized with 41 charter members and became a member of the Missouri-Kansas Conference of the Mennonite Church (MC). In 1941, the above-ground portion of the church was completed, and the congregation became known as the Pershing Street Mennonite Church. While the mission had lay leadership, the preaching was still carried out by the ministers of the rural churches.

A faulty furnace caused significant fire damage on 11 February 1953.

The Pershing Street location became increasingly unsatisfactory. Plans for building a new church began in 1964, but construction did not commence until 1971 at the new location, 808 South Poplar. The first service at the renamed South Hutchinson Mennonite Church was held 31 March 1972. The congregation constructed a major addition in 2003, which was dedicated on 15 February 2004.

In 2008, the South Hutchinson congregation began satellite campuses, initially Journey@Yoder. Services began Sunday evenings, shifting to Sunday mornings in 2010. In 2013, it started the Journey@McPherson campus and renamed itself Journey Mennonite Church, with multiple campuses. The Journey@Yoder campus appeared to close in the early 2020s.

The South Central Conference withdrew from Mennonite Church USA in 2023 and became a bishop district of LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches in 2024. Thus, Journey Mennonite Church became an LMC congregation at that time.

Bibliography

Author(s)	Samuel J Steiner
Date Published	July 2025

Chenlo, Mauricio. "New church plants in Mennonite Church USA in the past five years (partial listing)." Mennonite Church USA. 12 March 2013. Web. 21 July 2025. https://mennoniteusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ChPlantsSummaryChenlo_2013Mar212.pdf.

Erb, Paul. South Central Frontiers: A History of the South Central Mennonite Conference. Scottdale, Pa: Herald Press, 1974: 334-339.

Huber, Tim and Paul Schrag. "South Central Conference picks LMC." Anabaptist World 5, no. 8 (August 2024): 22.

"Mennonite church dedicates addition." TheMennonite 7, no. 6 (16 March 2004): 6.

Additional Information

Address: 808 South Poplar, South Hutchinson, Kansas 67505

Journey@McPherson Campus: 201 East Euclid McPherson, Kansas

South Hutchinson Telephone: 620-663-4244

McPherson Telephone: 620-504-6444

Website: https://journeymennonite.org/

Denominational Affiliations:

LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches

Mennonite Church USA (Until 2023)

Pastoral Leaders at Journey Mennonite Church

Name	Years of Service
Visiting Ministers	1931-1935
Paul Roupp (1907-1992)(Superintendent)	1935-1939
Daniel J. Headings (1885-1951)(Superintendent)	1939-1941
Visiting Ministers	1941-1943
Sanford E. King (1915-1974)	1943-1967
Gideon G. Yoder (1906-1971)(Interim)	1967-1969
Calvin R. King	1969-1992?
Howard L. Wagler	1992-2022?
Torrey D. Ball (Youth)	1998?-2004
Jonathan A. Smith (Associate)	2000?-2004?
Dustin Busick (Youth)	2004-2008
Sheri Beth Saner Zerger (Children)	2006?-
Eric C. Miller (Associate)	2009-
Jeremy Patterson (Journey@Yoder)	2008-2010s
Mark Horst (Journey@Yoder)	2008-2020s?
Jesse D. Blasdel (Discipleship)	2009-
James W. Ostlund (Journey@McPherson)	2013-2025
Judy M. Miller (Administrative)	2014-
Casey Nobbs (South Hutch Youth)	2018-
Joshua Haver (Lead)	2022-
Carson Stutzman (Journey@McPherson)	2025-

Journey Mennonite Church Membership

Year	Members
1937	41
1940	66
1950	64
1960	92
1970	145
1980	170
1990	249
2000	371
2009	515
2020	369

Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article

Pershing Street Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), located at "C" and Pershing, Hutchinson, Kansas, a member of the South Central Mennonite Conference, is an outgrowth of missionary efforts started in 1931 by the Yoder Mennonite and West Liberty Mennonite congregations. It was organized as a church on 7 August 1937, with 41 charter members, under the name Hutchinson Mission Mennonite Church. In 1933 a basement was built in which services were held. In 1942 the present frame structure was built. Lay leaders who were prominent in congregational growth are Alf B. Miller, Paul Roupp, and Daniel J. and Susie Headings. The minister who helped in its beginning was Joe F. Brunk. Harry A. Diener and J. G. Hartzler served as bishops. Sanford E. King had been pastor since 1943. The membership in 1958 was 85. Only a few of these were converts of the mission; the majority were of Mennonite background who had made their homes in and around the city.

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "Journey Mennonite Church (South Hutchinson, Kansas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2025. Web. 19 Jan 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Journey_Mennonite_Church_(South_Hutchinson,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=180990.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (July 2025). Journey Mennonite Church (South Hutchinson, Kansas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 January 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Journey_Mennonite_Church_(South_Hutchinson,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=180990.

Journey Mennonite Church (South Hutchinson, Kansas, USA)

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