Grafton Church of God in Christ Mennonite (Grafton, North Dakota, USA)
The Grafton Church of God in Christ, Mennonite congregation west of Grafton, North Dakota, USA was established in 1892. The congregation started after Isaac N. Mastre was converted after suffering a period of alcohol abuse. He was not associated with a denomination at that time (1887), but after traveling to Manitoba with a friend, he and his wife, Anna, joined the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Mastre was ordained to the ministry by John Holdeman on 25 December 1892 and immediately began mission outreach in Grafton and surrounding communities. They were the only members at Grafton until 1917, when five of their children and two hired men were baptized and joined the church.
The small fellowship met in homes until 1922, when it bought a hall nine miles west of Grafton and remodeled it into a church. In 1975 a new church structure was erected south of the earlier building.
The Pleasant Valley Christian School began in the church basement in 1979. In 1987 the congregation built a separate school building just west of the church.
In 2020 the congregation was part of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The ministers were Donald Fricke and Roger Wedel.
Bibliography
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Yearbook (1996-2020).
Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 423-427.
"Isaac N. Mastre." Mennonite Weekly Review 1 July 1943. Web. 23 February 2021. https://mla.bethelks.edu/mediawiki/index.php/Mastre,_Isaac_N._(1860-1943).
Additional Information
Address: 6909 141st Ave. N.E., Grafton, North Dakota 58237
Phone: 701-284-7550
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Ordained Pastors at the Grafton Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Isaac N. Mastre (1860-1943) | 1892-1941 |
| Clifford Mastre (1905-1993) | 1934-1992 |
| Donald Fricke | 1982-present |
| Kendall Unruh | 2002-2014 |
| Roger Wedel | 2015-present |
Membership at the Grafton Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1892 | 2 |
| 1917 | 9 |
| 1953 | 8 |
| 1975 | 44 |
| 1995 | 75 |
| 2000 | 98 |
| 2010 | 106 |
| 2020 | 119 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Clifford Mastre. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, pp. 562-563. All rights reserved.
The Grafton Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Church, located near Grafton, North Dakota, dates back to 1891 when Isaac N. Mastre was converted and baptized. He was ordained to the ministry in 1892. At first, he held meetings in different schoolhouses but later a mission hall was erected. The enrollment has varied greatly; in 1953 there were eight members, with Clifford Mastre as pastor.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | February 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Grafton Church of God in Christ Mennonite (Grafton, North Dakota, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2021. Web. 23 Apr 2025. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grafton_Church_of_God_in_Christ_Mennonite_(Grafton,_North_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=170026.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (February 2021). Grafton Church of God in Christ Mennonite (Grafton, North Dakota, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 April 2025, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grafton_Church_of_God_in_Christ_Mennonite_(Grafton,_North_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=170026.
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