Glad Tidings Mennonite Church (Bronx, New York, USA)
The St. Ann's Mennonite Mission began in 1951 in Bronx, New York in a building purchased by the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities. It was a four-story building on St. Ann's Avenue with a storefront on ground level, and apartments on the floors above. The Board initially intended the Fox Street Mennonite Church activity to move to this location, but the two groups functioned separately.
In the early years, the church placed much emphasis on outreach to children and youth through Summer Bible School and participation in "Fresh Air" programs that sent children to Mennonite homes in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania for two weeks in the summer.
In 1954 the St. Ann's location was designated for "urban renewal," so the mission board bought a property four blocks away at 344 Brook Avenue. It also was a four-story building with a store and six apartments above. With the move, the church became known as the Glad Tidings Mennonite Church.
Like other urban Mennonite churches, Glad Tidings had difficulty enforcing dress standards and requiring the wearing of a prayer veil through the week by female converts who did not understand the polity.
In the 1970s the community around the church experienced numerous fires and increased depopulation of the area. A Glad Tidings Sandwich Shop run by the church closed in 1973. Members lived further and further from the church building.
In 1988 Glad Tidings closed. It stopped services "for the summer" in the spring, but never reopened. Some of its members ended up at the North Bronx Mennonite Church.
Bibliography
MacMaster, Richard K. Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches of New York City. Kitchener, Ont.: Pandora Press, 2006: See index.
Additional Information
Address: 344 Brook Avenue, Bronx, New York
Phone:
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Lancaster Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Glad Tidings Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| B. Harold Thomas (1921-1991) | 1951-1961 |
| Paul G. Burkholder (1929- ) | 1961-1967 |
| Eugene Shelly (1942- ) | 1967-1977 |
| Jesus Cruz (Assistant) | 1975-1986? |
| Richard Frey (Assistant) | 1975-1976 |
| John Bauman | 1978-1985 |
| Baino Mateo | 1981?-1982? |
| Vicente Martinez | 1983-1988 |
Membership at Glad Tidings Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 19 |
| 1970 | 52 |
| 1980 | 30 |
| 1988 | 38 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2022 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Glad Tidings Mennonite Church (Bronx, New York, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2022. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Glad_Tidings_Mennonite_Church_(Bronx,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=176671.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (March 2022). Glad Tidings Mennonite Church (Bronx, New York, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Glad_Tidings_Mennonite_Church_(Bronx,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=176671.
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