Grace Christian Fellowship (Oxford, New Jersey, USA)
Faith Mennonite Church, Oxford, New Jersey, USA began in 1955 when Henry Swartley felt led to plant a church in the Oxford area. Several families from the Franconia Mennonite Conference supported his launch of services in a house across the street from the later church building.
In 1958 the group purchased a lot and built a basement facility that was dedicated in May 1958. That same year Faith Mennonite became a member of the Ohio and Eastern Conference of the Mennonite Church (MC). In 1971 construction began on the above-ground portion of the church that was dedicated on 7 May 1972.
In June 1993 the congregation changed its name to Grace Christian Fellowship. Much of the congregation did not have a traditional Mennonite background, and the Mennonite name was considered a hindrance to outreach.
In 2001 Grace Christian Fellowship was part of the decision by a group of congregations to form the Hopewell Network of Churches that left the Atlantic Coast Conference and Mennonite Church USA. These churches effectively became nondenominational congregations.
The congregation appeared to close sometime between 2010 and 2017.
Bibliography
Betz, Lisa and Lester Zimmerman. The handprint of God: History of the Hopewell Network. New Holland, Pa.: Hopewell Network, 2017.
Buckwalter, Miriam. "Faith Mennonite Church." Atlantic Coast Conference Currents 4, no. 4 (July-August 1983): 1.
Williamson, Denise. "Faith changes name." Atlantic Coast Conference Currents 14, no. 6 (November-December 1993): 4.
Additional Information
Address: 76 Belvidere Ave., Oxford, New Jersey
Phone:
Website:
Denominational Affiliations: Hopewell Network of Churches
Pastoral Leaders at Grace Christian Fellowship
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| William "Henry" Swartley (1926-1988) | 1956-1975 |
| J. Eby Leaman (1912-1983)(Interim) | 1976-1977 1978-1980 |
| William More | 1977-1978 |
| P. Melville Nafziger (1924-2020) | 1980-1985 |
| Lloyd R. Horst | 1985-1991 |
| Michael Peterson | 1991-2000s |
Membership at Grace Christian Fellowship
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 16 |
| 1970 | 43 |
| 1980 | 55 |
| 1990 | 49 |
| 2000 | 48 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | February 2022 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Grace Christian Fellowship (Oxford, New Jersey, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2022. Web. 25 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grace_Christian_Fellowship_(Oxford,_New_Jersey,_USA)&oldid=173508.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (February 2022). Grace Christian Fellowship (Oxford, New Jersey, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grace_Christian_Fellowship_(Oxford,_New_Jersey,_USA)&oldid=173508.
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