Mount Joy Mennonite Church (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, USA)
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Mount Joy Mennonite Church is located at 320 Musser Road, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches (Landisville District).
Mennonites first began worshiping in homes in this area in 1790. Eventually land four miles (6.5 km) southwest of Mount Joy was donated by Peter Kraybill to the "Old Mennonite Congregation of Donegal." The congregation constructed and moved into a log meetinghouse in 1812. John Lehman was the first bishop and Jacob hershey was the first minister.
As the congregation grew, that building was enlarged in 1840, replaced entirely in 1869 and again in 1898. In 1908 a new building was built in the southwestern part of Mount Joy. While people often spoke of Kraybill and Mount Joy as two different congregations, they functioned as one, alternating services between the two buildings. In 1947 the congregation decided to convert the Kraybill meetinghouse to a Christian day school, and all church services were then held in the Mount Joy meetinghouse. A significant remodeling and expansion to that building occurred in 1967. When that building was outgrown, the congregation bought 29 acres and built a new facility, moving into it in April 2006.
Sunday School was begun in 1909, and summer Bible school in 1934. While young people's meetings were held for many years, the "Gospel Cheer Band" began in 1946 and became "Mennonite Youth Fellowship" in 1961. The congregation continued to have many children and youth with a variety of ministries designed for their benefit. Programs in 2007 included Stephen Ministry, small groups, women's Bible studies, men's groups, various prayer ministries, "Helping Hands"-a fellowship meal open to the community, community block parties, Toddlers' and Children's Churches, and Senior Members' morning out.
Mount Joy Mennonite Church has always supported missions, sending missionaries both in North America and overseas, giving strong support to Eastern Mennonite Missions, and reaching out into the local communities. Along with other district congregations Mount Joy helped to plant Christ the King congregation in the 1980s. Beginning in 2001 the Alpha Course on issues of Christian faith has been an effective program at Mount Joy.
Pastors in 2007 were Joe Sherer, serving since 1979, Rich and Dawn Winey serving part-time since 1997, and Randall Shull, serving since 2002. Donna Siegrist was also part of the team, working with women’s ministries.
Bibliography
Ruth, John L. The Earth is the Lord's: a narrative history of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2001: 791, 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: 181-187. Available in full electronic text at https://archive.org/details/mennonitesoflanc00weav_0/page/n3/mode/2up.
Additional Information
Address: 320 Musser Road, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania 17552
Telephone: 717-653-5660
Website: https://www.mjmc.org/
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2017)
Pastoral Leaders at Mount Joy Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| John Lehman (1702-1776) | 1748?-1770s 1770s-1776 |
| Jacob Hershey (1747-1819) (Bishop) |
1788-1790 1790-1819 |
| Samuel Nissley (1761-1838)(Bishop) | 1800-1838 |
| Christian Nissley (1777-1831) (Bishop) |
1803-1820 1820-1831 |
| Jacob Hostetter (1774-1865)(Bishop) | 1831-1865 |
| Martin Nissley (1784-1834) | 1832-1834 |
| John Nissley (1786-1847) | 1832-1847 |
| Peter Nissley (1802-1890) | 1836-1890 |
| John Brubaker (1795-1870)(Bishop) | 1849?-1870 |
| Jacob N. Brubacher (1838-1913) (Bishop) |
1865-1867 1867-1913 |
| Ephraim N. Nissley (1841-1907) | 1879-1907 |
| Peter R. Nissley (1863-1921) (Bishop) |
1904-1911 1911-1921 |
| Benjamin "B. Lehman" Kraybill (1893-1926) | 1913-1926 |
| Isaac H. Brubaker (1858-1933)(Bishop) | 1921-1933 |
| Henry E. Lutz (1891-1959) (Bishop) |
1922-1930 1930-1959 |
| Amos L. Hess (1895-1992) | 1926-1974? |
| Henry F. Garber (1888-1969) | 1932-1968 |
| Henry W. Frank (1904-1997) | 1949-1983? |
| H. Raymond Charles (1918-1988)(Bishop) | 1964-1980s |
| Nevin L. Horst (1930-2006) | 1970?-1974 |
| Melvin M. Graybill (1923-1977) | 1974-1977 |
| Shelly R. Shellenberger (1922-2017) | 1974-1995 |
| Nathan D. Showalter | 1979-1982 |
| Joseph N. Sherer | 1979-2009? |
| Ervin R. Stutzman (1953-2025) (Bishop) |
1982-1984 1984-1998 |
| Elizabeth G. Nissley (Pastoral Care) | 2000?-2002 |
| Bruce Kreider (Youth) | 2000?-2002 |
| Pam Reist (Christian Education) | 2000?-2002 |
| Randall Shull (Associate) | 2002-2007 |
| Dawn R. Winey (Worship/Associate) | 2005?-2017 |
| Richard L. Winey (Worship) | 2005?-2017 |
| A. Willard Shertzer (Interim) | 2009-2010 |
| Karl Landis | 2010-2023 |
| Donna Siegrist (Associate) | 2011-2010s? |
| Ryan McQuitty (Youth/Associate) | 2014-2021? |
| Robert Kanagy (Interim Pastoral Care) | 2017- |
| Joshua Mccollough (Associate) | 2022- |
| Tim Bentch (Lead) | 2025- |
Mount Joy Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1913 | 250 With Kraybill |
| 1920 | 285 With Kraybill |
| 1930 | 340 With Kraybill |
| 1940 | 377 With Kraybill |
| 1950 | 380 |
| 1960 | 348 |
| 1970 | 345 |
| 1980 | 371 |
| 1990 | 359 |
| 2000 | 358 |
| 2009 | 373 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Ira D. Landis. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 759. All rights reserved.
Mount Joy Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church (MC), located in Mt. Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was organized in 1908 when the present brick meetinghouse, 54 x 88 feet, was built in the southwestern part of the town. It remained a part of the Kraybill circuit until 1949. The membership in 1955 was 381, with Henry E. Lutz as bishop and Henry F. Garber, Amos L. Hess, and Henry W. Frank as ministers.
| Author(s) | Joe Sherer |
|---|---|
| Date Published | November 2025 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Sherer, Joe. "Mount Joy Mennonite Church (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2025. Web. 12 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mount_Joy_Mennonite_Church_(Mount_Joy,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=181308.
APA style
Sherer, Joe. (November 2025). Mount Joy Mennonite Church (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 12 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mount_Joy_Mennonite_Church_(Mount_Joy,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=181308.
©1996-2026 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.