Fairfield Bethel Mennonite Church (Huron, South Dakota, USA)
In 1921, the Hutterthal Mennonite Church of Carpenter, South Dakota, had worship centers in three areas because of its scattered membership. It built one close to Fairfield School #4 in Beadle County.
In 1927 the Fairfield church located 12 miles north and two miles west of Huron as the Fairfield Bethel Church. An enclosed basement served as the meeting place until 1956, when the building was completed.
The Fairfield Bethel Church joined the Northern District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church in 1941.
The ongoing migration of members from rural areas into the city of Huron created difficulties for the congregation, and it decided to dissolve in 1962. The Mount Olivet Mennonite Church in Huron invited Fairfield Bethel members to transfer. Some members also went to other churches.
After the church finally closed in 1963, the building was sold and moved to Tulare, South Dakota.
Bibliography
Janzen, Rod A. The Prairie People: Forgotten Anabaptists. Hanover, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 1999: 80-81.
Schmidt, Diena, ed. The Northern District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church 1891-1991. Freeman, S.D.: The Conference, 1991: 157-158.
Additional Information
Address: Huron, South Dakota
Phone:
Website:
Denominational Affiliations: Northern District Conference
General Conference Mennonite Church
Pastoral Leaders at Fairfield Bethel Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Peter P. "P. P." Tschetter (1886-1976) | 1921-1939 |
| Jacob Friesen | 1939-1940 |
| Frank S. Harder (1917-1992) | 1941-1946 |
| Isaac A. Derksen | 1947-1951 |
| William H. Dahlenburg (1921-2009) | 1952-1961 |
| Menno Pullman (1921-1981) | 1962-1963 |
Fairfield Bethel Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1944 | 32 |
| 1950 | 58 |
| 1960 | 59 |
| 1962 | 62 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Isaac A. Derksen. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 288. All rights reserved.
Fairfield Bethel Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite), in Beadle County, South Dakota, 11 miles north and two miles west of Huron, a member of the Northern District, was organized on 13 July 1927 under the leadership of Elder P. P. Tschetter. The congregation had 53 members in 1955, with Wm. H. Dahlenburg serving as minister.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | October 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Fairfield Bethel Mennonite Church (Huron, South Dakota, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2023. Web. 26 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Fairfield_Bethel_Mennonite_Church_(Huron,_South_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=177650.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (October 2023). Fairfield Bethel Mennonite Church (Huron, South Dakota, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 26 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Fairfield_Bethel_Mennonite_Church_(Huron,_South_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=177650.
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