Good News Fellowship

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In the early 1940s the Lancaster Mennonite Conference established an Itinerant Evangelism Committee to work at outreach, included the USA southeast. Teams of persons with roots in the Lancaster Conference gave a portion of their summers to Summer Bible School outreach in the South. They would set up a tent and hold Bible classes for children during the day and revival meetings for the community each evening. By 1949 six teams ran 24 Vacation Bible Schools in rural areas near the Florida/Alabama border.

In some of these locations churches were started. The first church to be planted was in East Brewton, Alabama. Others followed in surrounding communities including Bethel, Appleton, Atmore, Crestview, etc. Later churches began in more urban areas like Mobile and Birmingham, Alabama.

In 2000 the Lancaster Mennonite Conference "released" the 14 churches then established in the southeast to form a new network called Good News Fellowship (GNF). This allowed the churches to work more effectively towards a common mission. J. D. Landis and Steve Longenecker gave early leadership to this newly formed network.

In 2023 the Good News Fellowship consisted of approximately 30 churches in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana. Congregations were grouped in regions and served by a Primary Leader. GNF's stated purpose was to empower and network leaders and churches for Jesus-centered ministry. It was not linked to a Mennonite denominational entity.

In 2017 there were eight "Primary leaders" in GNF: J. D. Landis (at-large), Steve Longenecker & Ralph Garth (Birmingham, Alabama area), Dave Lambert (Atlanta, Georgia area), David R. Landis (Gulf Coast area), David Weaver & Ruskin Clay (MLA area (Mississippi, Louisiana & Alabama), and Geraldo Navarro (Spanish).

Good News Fellowship Congregations

In 2023 the following congregations were part of Good News Fellowship:

Name Location
Ambassadors for Christ Birmingham, Alabama
Berean Christian Fellowship Tallahassee, Florida
Bethel Community Mennonite Church Brewton, Alabama
Calvary Mennonite Church Brewton, Alabama
Cellebration Fellowship Atlanta, Georgia
Choctaw Christian Church Louisville, Mississippi
Confraternidad Cristiana East Point, Florida
Confraternidad Cristiana Rogers, Arkansas
Confraternidad Cristiana Tallahassee, Florida
Cornerstone Community Church Macon, Mississippi
Crestview Mennonite Church Crestview, Florida
Des Allemands Mennonite Church Des Allemands, Louisiana
Evangelical Garifuno Church New Orleans, Louisiana
Faith Chapel Mennonite Church Cleveland, Alabama
Grace & Truth Birmingham, Alabama
Grace Fellowship Atmore, Alabama
Gulfhaven Mennonite Church Gulfport, Mississippi
Iglesia Bethel Birmingham, Alabama
Mennonite Christian Fellowship Atmore, Alabama
Mynamar Baptist Church Decatur, Georgia
Nanih Waiya Indian Mennonite Chapel Preston, Mississippi
New Vision Bessemer, Alabama
Pearl River Bible Church Philadelphia, Mississippi
Poarch Community Church Atmore, Alabama
Rivertown Community Church Blountstown, Florida
True Vine Evangelical Church Birmingham, Alabama
Way of Life Community Church Bayou La Batre, Alabama
Way of Life Community Church Mobile, Alabama
Way of the Cross Brooksville, Mississippi

Bibliography

"History." Good News Fellowship. 2015. Web. 2 June 2017. http://www.gnfonline.org/?page_id=17.

Ruth, John L. The Earth is the Lord’s: a Narrative History of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2001: 993-999.

Additional Information

Website: https://www.gnfonline.org/


Author(s) Samuel J Steiner
Date Published November 2023

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "Good News Fellowship." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2023. Web. 31 Oct 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Good_News_Fellowship&oldid=177894.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (November 2023). Good News Fellowship. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 31 October 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Good_News_Fellowship&oldid=177894.




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