Jubilee Mennonite Church (Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA)
The Jubilee Mennonite Church, Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA, began to meet informally in 1994 as a small group from the South Union Mennonite Church on Sunday evenings, partly to support terminally-ill cancer patients. In June 1995, the group began to consider a greater organization and formalized leadership. Joyce Wyse agreed to serve as an initial interim pastor two Sundays a month. The congregation met for a number of years at the Littleton Funeral Home.
Jubilee Mennonite joined the Ohio Mennonite Conference of the Mennonite Church (MC) and the Central District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church in 1996. It merged with the Bellefontaine Community Fellowship in 2001 and continued under the Jubilee Mennonite Church name. The merged congregation then met at the Friendly Senior Center in Bellefontaine. In about 2004, Jubilee decided to affiliate only with the Ohio Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA. In 2019 the congregation withdrew from the Ohio Conference and affiliated with the Central District Conference because of the latter's greater openness to congregations that welcomed LGBTQ persons in long-term relationships.
In 2005 the Jubilee congregation built its own church facility at 169 County Road 32 North. In 2022 it sold this church building to the Redemption Bible Church and began to meet in The Olive Tree restaurant in Bellefontaine.
In 2023 the congregation was part of the Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA.
Bibliography
"Jubilee Mennonite Church." Central District Reporter 40, no. 6 (September-October 1996): 2.
"Jubilee Mennonite Church." Central District Conference Reporter (September 2018): 3-4.
Lehman, Tim and Jeff Hooper. "New Church Profile: Jubilee Mennonite Church." Central District Reporter 42, no. 2 (March-April 1997): 3.
"Two become one." The Central District Reporter 45, no. 3 (September-October 2001): 3.
Additional Information
Meeting Address: The Olive Tree, 121 W. Chillicothe, Bellefontaine
Phone:
Website: https://www.jubileemennonite.com/
Denominational Affiliations: Central District Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Jubilee Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Joyce Wyse (Interim) | 1995-1997 |
| Tim Lehman | 1997-2008 |
| Susan Gotwals Lehman (Associate) | 1997-2001? |
| Tony Doehrmann | 2008-2017 |
| Lay Leadership | 2018- |
Membership at Jubilee Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 16 |
| 2009 | 40 |
| 2020 | 25 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Jubilee Mennonite Church (Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2023. Web. 20 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Jubilee_Mennonite_Church_(Bellefontaine,_Ohio,_USA)&oldid=178479.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (March 2023). Jubilee Mennonite Church (Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 20 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Jubilee_Mennonite_Church_(Bellefontaine,_Ohio,_USA)&oldid=178479.
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