Faith Church of God in Christ Mennonite Church (Iroquois, South Dakota, USA)
The Faith Church of God in Christ, Mennonite congregation near Iroquois, South Dakota, USA was established in 1953. The congregation after the denomination's Colonization Board approved the area for settlement by families looking for new prospects in an agricultural area. The first family to settle in the area was that of David Penner of Inman, Kansas.
Initially, worship services were conducted in homes. In 1954 the young congregation rented a schoolhouse. In 1958/59 the congregation built a frame church building; it was dedicated on 10 May 1959. In September 1986 the group began building a larger place of worship; it was dedicated on 31 May 1987. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by fire on 5 March 1995. It was rapidly replaced and a funeral was held in the new facility on 21 May 1995.
Beginning in 1995 the congregation helped to launch the Rolling Plains Church of God in Christ. In 2017 Faith started the Prairie Haven congregation. Sixty-three members, including a minister, joined the new group.
The Sunny Plains Christian School began in 1979.
In 2020 the congregation was part of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The ministers were Craig Jantz and Lonnie Penner.
Bibliography
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Yearbook (1996-2020).
Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 490-492.
Additional Information
Address: 41752 202 Street, Iroquois, South Dakota 57353
Phone: 605-546-2246
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Ordained Pastors at the Faith Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| John A. Ensz (1905-1970) (Nonresident) |
1954-1958 |
| Harvey Yost (1891-1986) (Nonresident) |
1958-1964 |
| Sylvester Unruh (1927-2007) | 1964-2005 |
| Raymond Ensz | 1965-2000 2005-2011 |
| Philip Penner | 1994-1999 2001-2017 |
| Lonnie Penner | 1996- |
| Craig Jantz | 2017- |
Membership at the Faith Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 38 |
| 1995 | 107 |
| 2000 | 139 |
| 2010 | 147 |
| 2020 | 122 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Harold S. Bender. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1084. All rights reserved.
Faith Church of God in Christ Mennonite Church, at Iroquois, South Dakota, organized in 1950, dedicated its newly erected meetinghouse 17 May 1959. It had 38 members, with Harvey Yost as pastor. The first farm in the community to be purchased by a member of the congregation was bought in 1949.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Faith Church of God in Christ Mennonite Church (Iroquois, South Dakota, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2021. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Faith_Church_of_God_in_Christ_Mennonite_Church_(Iroquois,_South_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=170624.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (March 2021). Faith Church of God in Christ Mennonite Church (Iroquois, South Dakota, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Faith_Church_of_God_in_Christ_Mennonite_Church_(Iroquois,_South_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=170624.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.