Sunnyside Mennonite Church (Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA)
The Sunnyside Mennonite Church, initially located one mile south of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, began in 1930 as a mission outreach led by David S. High. The sponsors leased a former dance hall for $5 per month. Sunday school began in January 1930. The Strasburg-Brick District ministers of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference provided initial pastoral care.
The fledgling mission, named for its community, broke ground for a new brick building in 1934 and dedicated it in January 1935. Renovations and building expansion took place in 1960 and 1966, with a major addition in 1972.
Bibliography
"History." Sunnyside Mennonite Church. Web. 25 March 2026. https://www.sunnysidemc.org/about.
Ruth, John L. The Earth is the Lord's: a narrative history of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2001: 1138-1169.
Additional Information
Address: 337 Circle Avenue, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17602
Telephone: 717-397-7344
Website: https://www.sunnysidemc.org/
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2018)
Pastoral Leaders at Sunnyside Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| District ministers | 1930-1947 |
| David S. High (1882-1961) | 1947- |
| Witmer J. Barge (1880-1968) | 1954-1968 |
| Joseph C. Miller, Jr. (1932-2003) | 1956-1968? |
| Daniel S. Lapp | 1966-1979 |
| Harold B. Schultz | 1973-1998? |
| Ira A. Kurtz | 1990-2008? |
| J. Brian Miller | 2002?-2012? |
| Emily Ralph | 2013-2015 |
| Donald Sharp (Interim) | 2015-2017 |
| Joshua Jefferson | 2017-2023? |
| Darryl Weaver (Outreach) | 2018- |
| Dean Sauder | 2023- |
Sunnyside Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1930 | 17 |
| 1940 | 42 |
| 1950 | 31 |
| 1960 | 35 |
| 1970 | 75 |
| 1980 | 104 |
| 1990 | 76 |
| 2000 | 110 |
| 2009 | 121 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Ira D. Landis. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 663. All rights reserved.
Sunnyside Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church (MC), in a former suburb of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, began as a mission, initiated by David S. High. The first services were held in an abandoned dance hall with 71 from the community present. Through evangelistic sermons and home visitation the work grew until by 1957 the membership was 50, with David S. High, Witmer J. Barge, and Joseph C. Miller, Jr., as ministers.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2026 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Sunnyside Mennonite Church (Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2026. Web. 15 Apr 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Sunnyside_Mennonite_Church_(Lancaster,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=181932.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (March 2026). Sunnyside Mennonite Church (Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 15 April 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Sunnyside_Mennonite_Church_(Lancaster,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=181932.
©1996-2026 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.