Allentown Mennonite Church (HMF)(Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA)
Hope Mennonite Fellowship (HMF) had been conducting services in the Lehigh County Prison for 14 years until that ministry gave birth to the Allentown Mennonite Mission. The first Sunday afternoon Sunday schools were held in the homes of former inmates until the first Sunday school in the church building at 701 St. John Street, in Allentown, Pennsylvania rented from God’s Missionary Church was held 11 November 2007. HMF purchased and completely renovated this building in 2009 and demolished the parsonage on the property to make room for more parking spaces. J. Elvin Horst was assigned by HMF to give bishop oversight in 2007.
The Allentown congregation has held an adult Bible study every Tuesday evening since 2009. There had been an Overcoming Addictions class on Friday evenings from 2010 to 2013. Since 2008, Vacation Bible School has been held for one week in July with a normal attendance of about 200.
The mission purchased two used school buses and several maxi-vans to bring 80 to 100 city children to Bible studies each Thursday evening since April 2008. Teachers, mostly unmarried youth, have been supplied from several HMF congregations. A committee of four members from Allentown, Rehrersburg, Schaefferstown, and Muddy Creek supervised the Thursday evening classes. Most of the finances for the children’s classes and the cost of buildings and vehicles came from the HMF home missions fund to which all HMF congregations contribute. Vehicles owned by the mission fund were also used to provide transportation for attendees of all church services and Bible classes.
Allentown Mennonite Mission became Allentown Mennonite Church when David G. Martin was installed as the first deacon in August of 2009, services were moved from Sunday afternoons to Sunday mornings, and the congregation was established with membership. The first Sunday morning service was held on 12 July 2009. Lester M. Burkholder was given charge as the first minister on 20 March 2010. On 13 April 2012, Shawn Martin was ordained to serve as the first resident deacon for the Allentown congregation.
As of 1 January 2016, the Allentown Mennonite Church of HMF had 17 members. Ministry include: J. Elvin Horst, bishop; Lester M. Burkholder, minister; and Shawn Martin, deacon.
The Franconia Mennonite Conference had an Allentown Mennonite Church at 811 South Sixth Street until January of 2000. The Vietnamese Gospel Mennonite Church began meeting there in April 2004 after Franconia Conference deeded the property to the Vietnamese church.
Bibliography
Burkholder, Lester M., compiler. History of Hope Mennonite Fellowship 1981-2015. Myerstown, Pa.: Little Mountain Printing, 2016.
Additional Information
Address: 701 St. John Street, Allentown, PA 18103
Phone: (610) 810-1516
Website
Denominational Affiliations: Hope Mennonite Fellowship
Allentown Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| J. Elvin Horst (Bishop) | 2007-present |
| David G. Martin (Deacon) | 2007-2016 |
| Lester M. Burkholder (Minister) | 2010-present |
| Shawn Martin (Deacon) | 2012-present |
Allentown Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 17 |
Map
Map:Allentown Mennonite Church (HMF)(Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA)
| Author(s) | Lester M Burkholder |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2016 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Burkholder, Lester M. "Allentown Mennonite Church (HMF)(Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2016. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Allentown_Mennonite_Church_(HMF)(Allentown,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=134435.
APA style
Burkholder, Lester M. (June 2016). Allentown Mennonite Church (HMF)(Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Allentown_Mennonite_Church_(HMF)(Allentown,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=134435.
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