Alice Mennonite Church (Alice, Texas, USA)
By 1958, Mennonite Voluntary Service workers Norma and Joseph Hostetler had moved to Alice, Texas, where they organized a Summer Bible School and helped to start a church, pastored by Sylvester Zapata. The South Central Conference of the Mennonite Church (MC) recognized the Alice Mennonite Church in 1963. The congregation held a chartering service on 5 May 1963.
The groundbreaking for a meetinghouse took place on 15 November 1964. The building was dedicated on 21 March 1965.
The congregation opened the Rancho Alegre Youth Center in 1968, developed on a four-acre park and recreation area. This program lasted until the 1990s.
The congregation attempted to provide a place for Anglo and Mexican Americans to worship together. In the 1970s, it also worked with activist groups like the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO).
The Alice Mennonite Church was no longer listed in the Mennonite Yearbook in 1994, suggesting it was inactive. It reappeared before 2010. In 2011, Israel Hernandez became the pastor.
In 2023, the South Central Mennonite Conference withdrew from Mennonite Church USA and, in 2024, chose to become a district of LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches. Alice Mennonite Church thus became part of LMC.
Bibliography
"A chartering service...." Gospel Herald 56, no. 20 (21 May 1963): 426.
"The groundbreaking ceremony...." Gospel Herald 58, no. 4 (26 January 1965): 74.
"Hernandez, Israel." TheMennonite 15, no. 1 (January 2012): 48.
Hinojosa, Filipe. "Mennonites in the Barrio: The Rancho Alegre Youth Center in Alice, Texas." Mennonite Life 65 (Summer 2011). https://mla.bethelks.edu/ml-archive/2011/mennonites_barrio.php.
Seitz, Kenneth, Jr. "A place in the sun." Gospel Herald 62, no. 20 (20 May 1969): 463-464.
"Teen Center begins development program." Gospel Herald 62, no. 36 (16 September 1969): 816.
Additional Information
Address: 901 Beam Station Road, Alice, Texas
Telephone: 361-587-1148
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Pastoral Leaders at Alice Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Sylvester V. Zapata (1888-1962) | 1959-1960 |
| Allen D. Kanagy | 1961-1962 |
| Raul Tadeo | 1962-1967 |
| Joseph Hostetler | 1968-1971 |
| Ruperto "Tito" Guedea, Jr. | 1972-1980? |
| Antero Rodriquez | 1980-1982? |
| Eduardo Monge | 1982?-1983? |
| Angel Luis Miranda (1935- ) | 1983-1988 |
| Dan Miller | 1988-1993? |
| Inactive? | 1993-2010? |
| Israel Hernandez | 2011- |
Alice Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 15 |
| 1970 | 27 |
| 1980 | 36 |
| 1990 | 19 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2025 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Alice Mennonite Church (Alice, Texas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2025. Web. 12 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Alice_Mennonite_Church_(Alice,_Texas,_USA)&oldid=180140.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (January 2025). Alice Mennonite Church (Alice, Texas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 12 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Alice_Mennonite_Church_(Alice,_Texas,_USA)&oldid=180140.
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