Mountainside Bible Church (Pottsville, Pennsylvania, USA)
The Palo Alto Chapel in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, began in July 1948 after several years of research by a mission committee in the Lancaster Mennonite Conference district in which Mahlon Witmer was bishop. The district congregations purchased and repaired a former Methodist church east of Pottsville. A dedication service was held on 11 July 1948.
The congregation erected a new chapel in 1978-79 when it outgrew its original building; it dedicated the new building on 1 April 1979.
In 2017, the congregation changed its name to Mountainside Bible Church.
Bibliography
"Palo Alto chapel dedicated." Gospel Herald 72, no. 20 (15 May 1979): 405.
"Palo Alto, Pa...." Gospel Herald 41, no. 28 (13 July 1948): 653.
Additional Information
Address: 6 Cadbury Street, Pottsville, Pennsylvania 17901
Telephone: 570-628-3787
Website: https://www.facebook.com/mountainsidebible/
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2017)
Pastoral Leaders at Mountainside Bible Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Lester M. Hoover (1921-2010) | 1948-1969 |
| Amos O. Sweigart (1914-1970) | 1953-1963? |
| Nelson W. Martin | 1969-1971? |
| Paul B. Lefever (1920-2004) | 1972?-1973? 1979-1990? |
| Ernest W. Martin (1948-2009) | 1972-2007? |
| Gerald B. Richter | 1985-2004? |
| Raymond S. Hurst (1934-2015) | 1990?-1999? |
| LeRoy Brandt | 1998?-2002? |
| Dale L. Hurst (Interim) (Associate) |
2007?-2008 2023- |
| Jeremy Leaman | 2009-2011? |
| Kenton S. Martin | 2012- |
Mountainside Bible Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1951 | 12 |
| 1960 | 15 |
| 1970 | 17 |
| 1980 | 24 |
| 1990 | 52 |
| 2000 | 75 |
| 2009 | 52 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Melvin Gingerich. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 113. All rights reserved.
Palo Alto Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), Union Street, Pottsville, Pennsylvania, is a mission church in the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Established in 1948, it had 14 members in 1957.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | November 2025 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Mountainside Bible Church (Pottsville, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2025. Web. 2 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mountainside_Bible_Church_(Pottsville,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=181343.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (November 2025). Mountainside Bible Church (Pottsville, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 2 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mountainside_Bible_Church_(Pottsville,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=181343.
©1996-2026 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.