Swamp Mennonite Church (Quakertown, Pennsylvania, USA)
Swamp Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), located in Milford Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a member of the Franconia Conference, dates back to the early 18th century. Bishop Falentine ("Veite") Clemmer immigrated from Europe to the Swamp area in 1717. The first meetinghouse was built about 1735, a mile west of the present West Swamp Church(General Conference Mennonite Church). It was torn down and rebuilt on the site of the present West Swamp Church in 1790. The East Swamp(General Conference Mennonite) meetinghouse was built in 1771, and was later destroyed by fire and rebuilt; the present church was erected in 1850. In the Franconia Conference division of 1847 John H. Oberholtzerand the majority of the Milford Township ministers withdrew from the conference and claimed both meetinghouses. Those who were left, although without a minister, immediately built the Swamp meetinghouse for the group adhering to the Franconia Conference. Soon Jacob Beidler (1809-1874) was ordained. In 1863 Abraham Young was ordained to assist him, but was later silenced. Later ministers were John A. Beidler (1840-1912) and the 1958 ministers, John G. Gehman (1875- ), ordained in 1919, and Abram D. Yoder (1893- ), ordained in 1935. The membership in 1958 was 75. John H. Oberholtzer was ordained preacher at Swamp in 1842.
Bibliography
Wenger, J. C. History of the Mennonites of the Franconia Conference. Telford; 1937: 125-28.
Author(s) | J. C Wenger |
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Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Wenger, J. C. "Swamp Mennonite Church (Quakertown, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 24 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Swamp_Mennonite_Church_(Quakertown,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=68623.
APA style
Wenger, J. C. (1959). Swamp Mennonite Church (Quakertown, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Swamp_Mennonite_Church_(Quakertown,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=68623.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 666. All rights reserved.
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