Goodville Mennonite Church (Goodville, Pennsylvania, USA)
The 1893 Jonas Martin division in the Weaverland District of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference led to the formation of the Old Order Mennonites in Pennsylvania. Lichty's Mennonite Church, at the center of that division, experienced internal turmoil for the rest of that decade. Two miles south of Lichty's was the small town of Goodville, which included Mennonite residents involved in the dispute.
A union Sunday school emerged in Goodville in the late 1890s, which included Mennonite participation. In 1899, Lichty's church, its future in doubt, agreed to build a Mennonite church in Goodville that was open to all. Up to a quarter of the financing for the church came from non-Mennonites. This made the Goodville church a community church until the 1920s when stricter dress regulations discouraged non-Mennonite attendees.
The new frame building held its first public service on 21 January 1900. Lichty's, which survived, and Goodville functioned as one congregation for many years. Services were held in each building every four weeks into the 1940s. Then, the services alternated each week. It was only in 1966 that each building had a service every Sunday, ending the close relationship. Thus, Weaver Martin was the first minister ordained solely for the Goodville Mennonite Church in 1968.
Pastoral leadership was shared within the Lancaster Conference's Weaverland District. Goodville was the most progressive congregation within the district because of its more urban setting and the fact that many members had high school diplomas. It was the first congregation in the district to hold extended revival meetings, and Goodville women were at the core of a sewing circle established in 1938.
The congregation grew rapidly, with a significant building expansion in 1924. Renovations in the 1950s changed the main entrance and added indoor washrooms and stairways for better basement access, etc. Further renovations to the basement and sanctuary took place in the 1970s. The 1990s saw further expansion.
Goodville, together with the Lichty's congregation, in the 1950s launched the Benders Mennonite Church in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania. They started with a Summer Bible School in 1952 and a Sunday school in 1956. Marlin and Katie Burkholder led this ministry
In 2018, the average Sunday worship attendance was 40.
Bibliography
Burkholder, Roy S. A century of God's leading: narrative history of Goodville Mennonite Church, 1900-2000. Goodville, Pa.: The Church, 2000.
"Goodville Mennonite Church." LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches. 12 November 2018. Web. 7 March 2025. https://lmcchurches.org/2018/11/goodville-mennonite-church/.
Lichty, Marian E. History of Goodville Mennonite Church 1900-1975. Goodville, Pa. The Church, 1976.
Ruth, John L. The Earth is the Lord's: a narrative history of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 2001: 773, 1138-1169.
Weaver, Martin G. Mennonites of Lancaster Conference: containing biographical sketches of Mennonite leaders, histories of congregations, missions, and Sunday schools, record of ordinations, and other interesting historical data. Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing House, 1931. Reprinted Ephrata, PA: Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church Publication Board, 1982: . Available in full electronic text at https://archive.org/details/mennonitesoflanc00weav_0/page/n3/mode/2up.
Additional Information
Address: 1556 Main Street, East Earl, Pennsylvania 17528
Telephone: 717-445-4205
Website: https://www.goodvillechurch.org/
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2017)
Pastoral Leaders at Goodville Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| John M. Zimmerman (1829-1903) | 1900-1903 |
| Samuel B. Witmer (1862-1909) | 1900-1909 |
| Benjamin Weaver (1853-1928) (Bishop) |
1900-1902 1902-1928 |
| John M. Sauder (1864-1939) (Bishop) |
1900-1902 1926-1939 |
| Israel B. Good (1864-1945) | 1903-1930s |
| John W. Weaver (1870-1944) | 1909-1944 |
| B. Franklin Martin (1876-1937) | 1926-1937 |
| George N. Good (1880-1941) | 1928-1941 |
| Aaron H. Weaver (1881-1958) | 1936-1958 |
| J. Paul Graybill (1900-1975)(Bishop) | 1939-1975 |
| John W. Burkholder (1903-1998) | 1940-1968 |
| David N. Weaver (1900-1989) | 1942-1968 |
| Harry R. Lichty (1891-1957) | 1945-1957 |
| Alvin G. Martin (1921-2011) (Bishop) |
1947-1966 1966-1967 |
| Paul R. Weaver (1921-2002) | 1949-1968 |
| Walter H. Martin (1908-1993) | 1950-1968 |
| S. Weaver Martin (1912-1986) | 1968-1986 |
| Harold S. Reed | 1976-2002 |
| Aaron H. Hollinger (1924-2005)(Bishop) | 1975-1993 |
| C. Kenneth Martin (Bishop) | 1993-? |
| Nelson R. Martin (1957- ) | 1985-2012? |
| Bruce L. Sauder | 2003?- |
| Kelly Martin (Associate) | 2013- |
Goodville Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1944 | 94 |
| 1950 | 104 |
| 1960 | 81 |
| 1970 | 111 |
| 1980 | 118 |
| 1990 | 94 |
| 2000 | 94 |
| 2009 | 91 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Ira D. Landis. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, pp. 541-542. All rights reserved.
Goodville Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church (MC)) was organized in 1900 by a number of retired Mennonite farmers as a member of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. It is located in the strong Weaverland district of the beautiful fertile Weaverland Valley on Route 23. The first meetinghouse was greatly enlarged in 1924. In 1953 the total church membership was 113 with A. G. Martin as minister and J. Paul Graybill as bishop. An outstation summer Bible school was held at Bender's Church near Bangor in 1952.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2025 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Goodville Mennonite Church (Goodville, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2025. Web. 3 Apr 2025. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Goodville_Mennonite_Church_(Goodville,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=180318.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (March 2025). Goodville Mennonite Church (Goodville, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 3 April 2025, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Goodville_Mennonite_Church_(Goodville,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=180318.
©1996-2025 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.