Bethel Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Greensburg, Kansas, USA)
The Bethel Church of God in Christ, Mennonite congregation near Greensburg, Kansas, USA was established in 1912. The congregation started when some families, including Minister Tobias A. Unruh, moved to the area in 1908. The Church of God in Christ, Mennonite families met with other Mennonite groups initially, but in 1912 began to meet separately in District No. 3 schoolhouse. In 1926 the congregation completed the erection of a new church building dedicated on 22 November of that year. It built another new building in 1990/91 and enlarged it in 1997.
Tobias A. Unruh soon left the community; thus, the congregation did not have a resident pastor until 1927. The denomination supplied various non-resident ministers in the intervening years, John D. Dueck of Hillsboro, Abraham G. Ensz of Inman, Jacob Dirks of Halstead, and John A. Koehn of Montezuma.
The congregation operated a Sunday school from its beginning. The sewing circle was organized in 1941. It began the Valley View Christian School in 1980.
In 2020 the congregation was part of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The ministers were Roderick Nace and Mark Dirks.
Bibliography
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Yearbook (1996-2020).
Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 256-258.
Additional Information
Address: 12125 25th Ave., Greensburg, Kansas
Phone: 620-723-3361
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Ordained Pastors at the Bethel Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Tobias A. Unruh (1851-1947) | 1908-1912? |
| Nonresident ministers | 1912-1927 |
| Earvey M. Yost (1902-1983) | 1927-1931 |
| Fredrick C. Fricke (1867-1947) | 1934-1936 |
| Samuel L. Fricke (1902-1947) | 1935-1943 |
| Harvey Yost (1891-1986) | 1937-1986 |
| Lincoln Jantz (1906-1977) | 1947-1977 |
| Milton Unruh (1939-2002) | 1967-2002 |
| Keith G. Koehn (1933-1980) | 1967-1980 |
| Luther Smith | 1997-2000 |
| Mark Dirks | 2000-present |
| Roderick Nace | 2007-present |
Membership at Bethel Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 81 |
| 1995 | 95 |
| 2000 | 110 |
| 2010 | 130 |
| 2020 | 123 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By L. R. Just. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 304. All rights reserved.
Bethel Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Church is located two miles west and three miles south of Greensburg, Kiowa County, Kansas. Its first members settled here about 1907, worshiping in schools until 1928 when the present church was built. This congregation had a membership of 81 in 1953, with a staff of two ministers and two deacons, all ordained at this place. Harvey Yost was the minister in charge in the early 1950s. All services were in the English language. The services consisted of Sunday morning and evening worship, Sunday school, Bible study, and Brotherly Counsel. The congregation observed the ordinance of feetwashing at communion, taught and practiced nonconformity to the world, and supported hospitals, rest homes, sewing circles, relief, and missions.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Bethel Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Greensburg, Kansas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2021. Web. 29 Nov 2023. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethel_Church_of_God_in_Christ,_Mennonite_(Greensburg,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=169730.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (January 2021). Bethel Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Greensburg, Kansas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 29 November 2023, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethel_Church_of_God_in_Christ,_Mennonite_(Greensburg,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=169730.
©1996-2023 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.