Bethany Mennonite Church (Imlay City, Michigan, USA)
Bethany Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), southwest of Imlay City, Lapeer County, Michigan, was organized on 17 June 1918 under the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference by Peter Ropp, its first leader. Paul Wittrig, ordained for this congregation in 1938, was the minister in 1954. In 1953 the membership was 30. Other ministers who served the congregation were Simon Sommer, Wayne Wenger, Sam Hostetler, Leonard Schmucker, Arthur Zehr, and Lloyd Miller. Due to declining membership and the inability to support a part-time pastor, the congregation sold the church building in 1986. Remaining members continued to meet periodically as a fellowship before officially closing in 1998.
Bibliography
Preheim, Rich. In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. Harrisonburg, Va.: Herald Press, 2016: 307.
Wenger, John Christian. The Mennonites in Indiana and Michigan. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1961: 239-240.
Additional Information
Address: 5594 Hunters Creek Road, Imlay City, Michigan 48444
Phone:
Website:
Denominational Affiliations: Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Bethany Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Paul Ropp (1864-1944) | 1918-1926 |
| Simon W. Sommer (1882-1967) | 1919-1928 |
| Paul A. Wittrig (1905-1985) | 1938-1945 1946-1959 |
| Wayne J. Wenger (1919-2008) | 1946-1952 |
| Samuel Hostetler (1922-2012) | 1960-1966 |
| Leonard E. Schmucker (1923-2009) | 1966-1975 |
| Arthur Zehr | 1976-1978 |
| Lloyd R. Miller (1920-2011) | 1978-1984 |
| Lay Leadership | 1984-1998 |
Bethany Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1920 | 28 |
| 1930 | 39 |
| 1940 | 40 |
| 1950 | 30 |
| 1960 | 23 |
| 1970 | 48 |
| 1980 | 36 |
| 1985 | 37 |
| Author(s) | Paul A. Wittrig |
|---|---|
| Jason B. Kauffman | |
| Date Published | April 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Wittrig, Paul A. and Jason B. Kauffman. "Bethany Mennonite Church (Imlay City, Michigan, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2024. Web. 25 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethany_Mennonite_Church_(Imlay_City,_Michigan,_USA)&oldid=178683.
APA style
Wittrig, Paul A. and Jason B. Kauffman. (April 2024). Bethany Mennonite Church (Imlay City, Michigan, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethany_Mennonite_Church_(Imlay_City,_Michigan,_USA)&oldid=178683.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 303. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.