Grace Mennonite Church (Halstead, Kansas, USA)
The Grace Mennonite Church west of Halstead, Kansas, USA, was organized in 1882 when John Holdeman ordained Henry A. Koehn and Heinrich Schmidt to the ministry. Before this time, 24 persons had been baptized beginning in 1878 in the Lone Tree congregation as a result of Holdeman's preaching.
The early converts met in homes, most often that of the Jacob Becker family. In 1882 Bernard Warkentin donated a house located on one of his farms one mile north and one mile east of Halstead for the use of the congregation. This building was used until 1896, when it had become inadequate because of numbers. The house was dismantled, and a new church was built on the same site. Over time the center of the community moved, so in 1916 the congregation moved the building to a new location several miles west. In 1923 the building was expanded to double its previous size. By 1939 the building was again too small and was found to be too close to a busy railroad. The congregation then bought a plot of land was purchased 0.5 miles south. The church was dismantled and a new one was built at the present location. It was dedicated on 5 November 1939. Renovations and additions took place in 1959, 1976, and 1990.
In 1971 a number of members and a pastor helped to form the new Garden View Mennonite Church north of Halstead. In about 2010, the congregation formed a daughter congregation in Sedgwick, Kansas, contributing 70 members, two ministers, and a deacon to the new congregation.
The congregation launched the Countryside Christian School in 1978.
In 2020 the congregation was part of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The ministers were Raleigh Koehn and Marlin Unruh.
Bibliography
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Yearbook (1996-2020).
Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 283-286.
Additional Information
Address: 3523 South Old Settlers Road, Halstead, Kansas 67056
Phone: 316-835-2201
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Ordained Pastors at Grace Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Henry A. Koehn (1862-1932) | 1882-1905 |
| Heinrich A. Schmidt | 1882-1895? |
| Jacob Dirks (1864-1945) | 1896-1945 |
| Peter Johnson (1874-1922) | 1919-1922 |
| Jacob P. Unruh (1868-1946) | 1920-1946 |
| Carl J. Dirks (1900-1982) | 1931-1970s? |
| Henry Dirks (1903-1982) | 1931-1942 |
| Paul W. Becker (1907-1997) | 1944-1997 |
| Arnold F. Wiggers (1917-2002) | 1953-1971 |
| Kenneth L. Smith (1931-2016) | 1953-2013 |
| Dean Becker | 1969-2005 |
| Raleigh Koehn | 1983-present |
| Stanley Wiggers | 1983-1999 2004-2005 2007-2010 |
| Marlin Unruh | 2004-present |
Membership at Grace Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1882 | 24 |
| 1896 | 46 |
| 1923 | 126 |
| 1939 | 213 |
| 1954 | 230 |
| 1995 | 249 |
| 2000 | 262 |
| 2010 | 274 |
| 2020 | 173 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Carl J. Dirks. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 560. All rights reserved.
Grace Church of God in Christ Mennonite Church, located one mile west of Halstead, Harvey County, Kansas, was organized in 1877. A church was built in 1896 northeast of Halstead, and the congregation was called the "Halstead" congregation. In 1915 this building was moved one mile west of Halstead and was enlarged in 1921. In 1939 a new church building with a seating capacity for 600 was built one mile south of the old site. The past residing ministers Henry A. Schmidt and Henry A. Koehn were ordained in 1882. The latter served the congregation for 24 years. Jacob Dirks was ordained to the ministry in 1896 and served the congregation until his death in 1945, a period of nearly 50 years. Jacob P. Unruh moved here in 1920 ministering to the church until his death in 1947. Carl J. Dirks, the minister in charge in 1954, was assisted by Paul Becker, Kenneth Smith, and Arnold Wiggers. In 1954 the membership was 230.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Grace Mennonite Church (Halstead, Kansas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2021. Web. 23 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grace_Mennonite_Church_(Halstead,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=169809.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (January 2021). Grace Mennonite Church (Halstead, Kansas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grace_Mennonite_Church_(Halstead,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=169809.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.