Alexanderfeld Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Hillsboro, Kansas, USA)
The Alexanderfeld Church of God in Christ, Mennonite congregation near Hillsboro, Kansas, USA was established in 1880. The congregation started when ministers from the Meridian and Lone Tree congregations preached in the village of Alexanderfeld southwest of Hillsboro. The village had begun in 1875, made up of eight Mennonite families newly immigrated from Russia.
The first baptism took place on 21 January 1880, with more in the following years. Initially, services were held in local schoolhouses. Eventually, a schoolhouse was purchased for $163. It was moved to the congregation's present location near the Heinrich Penner family cemetery in 1907. The building was enlarged and remodeled, but soon proved to be too small. The congregation purchased a church building from the Mennonite Brethren and moved it to the same location after selling the former schoolhouse. A Sunday was organized in 1913, and a women's sewing circle in 1924.
In 1949 the church building was moved onto a new basement beside the old site. This building was finally sold in 1971 with a new building erected and dedicated on 2 May 1972.
The congregation opened a parochial school in 1975 but closed it in 1984. Subsequently, children attended the Cottonwood Grove Christian School in Durham.
The first resident minister was John D. Dueck from Gretna, Manitoba, Canada after he moved to the area in 1889. He also served as editor of the Botschafter der Wahrheit and was the first temporary editor of the "Messenger of Truth in 1903.
In 2020 the congregation was part of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The minister was Orlin Ensz.
Bibliography
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Yearbook (1996-2020).
Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 253-256.
Additional Information
Address: 1806 Holly Road, Hillsboro, Kansas 67063
Phone: 620-947-3250
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Ordained Pastors at the Alexanderfeld Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| John D. Dueck (1856-1918) | 1889-1918 |
| Peter A. Friesen (1854-1925) | 1906-1912 |
| David H. Dyck (1888-1980) | 1919-1943 |
| Peter G. Hiebert (1896-1979) | 1926-1951 |
| Jona Dyck (1917-2010) | 1950-1969 1976-1996 |
| Gordon Koehn | 1969-2002 2004-2016 |
| Orlin Ensz | 1999-present |
| Roger G. Unruh (Nonresident) |
2016-2019 |
Membership at Alexanderfeld Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 88 |
| 1995 | 66 |
| 2000 | 55 |
| 2010 | 75 |
| 2020 | 60 |
Map
Map:Alexanderfeld Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Hillsboro, Kansas, USA)
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Peter G. Hiebert. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 44. All rights reserved.
The first members of this congregation assembled for worship services in the Gnadenau school near Hillsboro, which was later purchased for that purpose. In 1910 the Mennonite Brethren church building, seating 250, was purchased and moved. John D. Dueck was the first resident minister, serving 1887-1918. In 1919 his son David H. Dyck was ordained to the ministry and served until 1943. Other ministers included P. G. Hiebert and Jona Dyck. Most of the members were of Dutch-North German-Russian descent and many continued to speak the Low German dialect in their homes throughout much of the 20th century. The Sunday school was organized in 1913. A sewing circle, started in 1921, helped to support mission stations, hospitals and Mennonite Central Committee relief work. Sunday-school enrollment in 1953 was 122, and church membership 88.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Alexanderfeld Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Hillsboro, Kansas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2021. Web. 29 Nov 2023. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Alexanderfeld_Church_of_God_in_Christ,_Mennonite_(Hillsboro,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=169774.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (January 2021). Alexanderfeld Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Hillsboro, Kansas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 29 November 2023, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Alexanderfeld_Church_of_God_in_Christ,_Mennonite_(Hillsboro,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=169774.
©1996-2023 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.