Krall’s Mennonite Church (Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA)
The earliest Mennonite settlers in what is now Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, arrived in the late 1720s. Initially, they met for worship in homes, such as that of Deacon Michael Shank's in the 1760s. Many of these early settlers became part of the Church of the Brethren, which did extensive missionary work among the Mennonites.
Early ministerial leadership likely came from visits by Lancaster County ministers. Kralls Mennonite Meetinghouse was erected in 1811 from dressed stones taken from neighboring farms. It was located four miles east of Cornwall near the Sheafferstown Road. This building served the congregation until a building was constructed and dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, 22 November 1956.
Ordained leaders served all the congregations in the Lebanon District of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference until well into the 20th century. Worship services were held at Krall's every four weeks into the mid-20th century due to its small size. In the 1940s, it changed to every two weeks as the congregation began to experience substantial growth. By the 1950s, it became weekly.
Bibliography
"Dedication of Krall's new Mennonite Church,..." Gospel Herald 49, no. 47 (20 November 1956): 1116.
Ruth, John L. The Earth is the Lord's: a narrative history of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2001: 303, 1138-1169.
Weaver, Martin G. 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: 12, 225-227, 229-230. Available in full electronic text at https://archive.org/details/mennonitesoflanc00weav_0/page/n3/mode/2up.
Additional Information
Address: 2518 South 5th Avenue, Lebanon, Pennsylvania 17042
Telephone: 717-273-9710
Website: https://krallschurch.wordpress.com/
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2018)
Pastoral Leaders at Krall's Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| John Light (1682-1759) | ca. 1742-1759 |
| Frederick Kauffman (1709-1789)(Bishop) | By 1773-1789 |
| Felix Light (1767-1841) | 1792-1841 |
| Jacob Ellenberger (1763-1830) | Before 1808-1830 |
| John Snavely (1763-1842) | By 1813-1842 |
| John Kauffman (1765-1851) (Bishop) |
? - ? ? - ? |
| John Schaeffer? (1789-1851) | ca. 1820-1851? |
| Michael Gingrich (1792-1860) (Bishop) |
By 1834-1844? 1844?-1860 |
| Jacob B. Wenger (1814-1893) | 1855-1893 |
| Jacob Dohner (1806-1881) (Bishop) |
1855-1863 1863-1881 |
| Cyrus Witmoyer (1829-1896) | By 1871-1896 |
| George Light (1807-1890) | 1871-1890 |
| Isaac Gingrich (1822-1892) | 1875-1892 |
| David Westenberger (1857-1933) (Bishop) |
1888-1893 1893-1933 |
| Martin N. Risser (1851-1926) | 1891-1926 |
| Jacob S. Horst (1842-1909) | 1890s?-1909 |
| Jacob E. Ebersole (1861-1939) | 1904-1939 |
| John S. Flinchbach (1886-1954) | 1920-1954 |
| Martin E. Weaver (1893-1979) | 1927-1969? |
| Robert S. Martin | 1957-2003? |
| H. Raymond Charles (1918-1988)(Interim) | 1969-1971? |
| Carl E. Horning | 1975-1992 1992-2017 |
| Curvin R. Martin | 1994-2004 |
| David W. Musser | 1994-2004 |
| George L. Zimmerman (Interim) | 2005-2006 |
| Clair H. Weaver (1949-2023) | 2006-2015? |
| John G. Landis (Associate) | 2007-2010s? |
| David R. Martin | 2015- |
Krall's Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1914 | 14 |
| 1920 | 10 |
| 1930 | 15 |
| 1940 | 21 |
| 1950 | 104 |
| 1960 | 59 |
| 1970 | 32 |
| 1980 | 87 |
| 1990 | 88 |
| 2000 | 60 |
| 2009 | 40 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Ira D. Landis. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 232. All rights reserved.
Krall’s (Krall) Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church (MC)), the second oldest meetinghouse in the Lancaster Conference still in use in the 1950s, was located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, near Buffalo Springs. When Lebanon Township was a part of Lancaster County the Mennonites settled in this area, but later were largely absorbed by the Church of the Brethren. Within the last 15 years in particular, due to the high prices of land in Lancaster County, part of the overflow went to Krall. The membership in 1954 was 84. Simon G. Bucher was bishop in 1954, Martin E. Weaver and Sidney B. Gingrich ministers, and Norman G. Shue deacon.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | July 2025 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Krall’s Mennonite Church (Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2025. Web. 12 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Krall%E2%80%99s_Mennonite_Church_(Lebanon,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=181005.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (July 2025). Krall’s Mennonite Church (Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 12 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Krall%E2%80%99s_Mennonite_Church_(Lebanon,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=181005.
©1996-2026 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.