Fernheim Mennonite Church (Fernheim Colony, Boquerón Department, Paraguay)
The Fernheim Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite), located in Colony Fernheim in the Paraguayan Chaco, was organized at a meeting of 30 members immigrating from Russia, in Trebol, Chaco, on 22 June 1930. Johann Bergmann, formerly of Siberia, Russia, called the meeting and was elected as the spiritual leader of the new church, with Johann Teichgraef and Heinrich Unruh (not ordained) as assistant ministers. Jakob Boschmann was elected deacon. Coming from various scattered Mennonite churches in Russia, with their own separate customs, many former members failed to find satisfaction in the new church; even four ministers left to join the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren. After this difficult and trying period, the new church in Fernheim grew, happy in the new-found freedom after their experience of Communist oppression and persecution. After 1947 the church was a member of the General Conference Mennonite Church. In 1950 a church was built in Filadelfia with a seating capacity of 500 and a full basement. In the 1950s all church meetings were held in cooperation with the Mennonite Brethren. and Evangelical Mennonite Brethren groups with the exception of the special services for members only on the first Sunday of every month. Saturday evening meetings known as Wochenschluss were held regularly. Feetwashing was not practiced. Youth work, choir work, and ladies' aid circles were carried on regularly and the Chaco Indian missions are actively supported. The membership in 1953 was 350, under the leadership of Jakob Isaak.
| Author(s) | Jakob Isaak |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1956 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Isaak, Jakob. "Fernheim Mennonite Church (Fernheim Colony, Boquerón Department, Paraguay)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Fernheim_Mennonite_Church_(Fernheim_Colony,_Boquer%C3%B3n_Department,_Paraguay)&oldid=80778.
APA style
Isaak, Jakob. (1956). Fernheim Mennonite Church (Fernheim Colony, Boquerón Department, Paraguay). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Fernheim_Mennonite_Church_(Fernheim_Colony,_Boquer%C3%B3n_Department,_Paraguay)&oldid=80778.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 326. All rights reserved.
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