Oxford Circle Mennonite Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
During World War II, the military built 600 one-story homes next to the Naval Depot in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Located near Oxford Avenue, the community became known as Oxford Village. In 1945, Harry and Viva Reedel, members of the Norris Square Mennonite Church, moved to Oxford Village. By 1946, they began to hold Bible school and Sunday school in their home.
In November 1948, the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities broke ground for a basement church; it was dedicated in February 1949. The building was completed in October 1951 and included a small apartment used by the first pastor, John Winters. It was dedicated on 27-28 October 1951.
Laura Weber and Esther Clark assisted at the Oxford Circle church for many years. During the 1950s, Oxford Circle included both newly urban Mennonites and children and youth from the community. When the Housing Authority of Philadelphia demolished half of the original homes in Oxford Village, attendance decreased.
In the 1970s, the congregation's focus became more family-focused. The church was also becoming more ethnically, culturally, and socio-economically diverse. The church building was shared with two other Mennonite congregations for a number of years into the early 1990s. The Oxford Circle congregation met on Sunday morning, Bethany House of Worship (a non-Mennonite Asian Indian group) met in the afternoon, and Iglesia Menonita Comunidad de Amor gathered in the evening. Occasionally, all three congregations worshiped together.
When Pastor Jim and Beth Leaman left after serving for two decades, church leadership became more team-oriented. The neighborhood demographics were rapidly changing with more Latino/Hispanic, African-American, Asian, and other ethnic immigrant families moving into the neighborhood. A more diverse, multi-ethnic congregation emerged in the late 1990s under Leonard Dow.
In 2008, Lynn Parks became the first female pastor to be formally ordained by the Lancaster Mennonite Conference.
In 2009, the Oxford Circle congregation relocated to a commercial building diagonally across the intersection from the meetinghouse, with the intention of occupying 10,000 square feet of space in a building purchased by the Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association. Mennonite Central Committee East Coast also had offices in the building. In 2026, the former meetinghouse was occupied by an Indian Pentecostal Church of God congregation.
In 2025, the average attendance was 75.
Bibliography
"Congregational Profile: Oxford Circle Mennonite Church." LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches. 1 August 2025. Web. 13 January 2026. https://lmcchurches.org/2025/08/congregational-profile-oxford-circle-mennonite-church/.
"First woman ordained in Lancaster Conference." TheMennonite 11, no. 21 (4 November 2008): 6.
"Five ex-pastors help Philadelphia church mark 40th year." Gospel Herald 79, no. 49 (9 December 1986): 845.
Greiser, David. "Though the presence is old, the congregations are new." Gospel Herald 86, no. 26 (29 June 1993): 7.
"History." Oxford Circle Mennonite Church. 2022? Web. 12 January 2026. https://ocmcphilly.org/history-2/.
"MCC East Coast moves to Philly." TheMennonite 12, no. 7 (7 April 2009): 6.
Robinson, Laurie Oswald and Anna Groff. "Oxford Circle plans to purchase new space." TheMennonite 11, no. 22 (18 November 2008): 6.
Additional Information
Address: 900 East Howell Street, Building B, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19149
Telephone: 215-288-5330
Website: https://ocmcphilly.org/
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2017)
Pastoral Leaders at Oxford Circle Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| John W. Winters (1915-2007) | 1949-1958 |
| Donald P. Wenger (1931-2017) | 1957-1962 |
| D. Stoner Krady (1894-1966)(Bishop) | 1962-1966 |
| George G. Weber (1928-2018) | 1966-1971 |
| Jacob W. Frederick (1923-2007)(Interim) | 1971-1974 |
| Kenneth A. Bucher (1950-2024) | 1974-1980 |
| James R. Leaman | 1977-1998 |
| Vandy L. Parks (Interim) | 1998 |
| Leonard M. Dow | 1999-2017 |
| Lynn Parks (Associate) (Lead) |
2000-2019 2019- |
| Peter M. Sensenig (Associate) | 2008-2010? |
| Ronald Tinsley | 2019- |
Oxford Circle Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 11 |
| 1960 | 14 |
| 1970 | 28 |
| 1980 | 30 |
| 1990 | 46 |
| 2000 | 40 |
| 2009 | 50 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2026 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Oxford Circle Mennonite Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2026. Web. 2 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Oxford_Circle_Mennonite_Church_(Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=181457.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (January 2026). Oxford Circle Mennonite Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 2 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Oxford_Circle_Mennonite_Church_(Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=181457.
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