Keystone Mennonite Fellowship
The Keystone Mennonite Fellowship (KMF) officially formed on 19 March 1999 when 15 congregations with a total of 906 members, three bishops, 23 ministers, 14 deacons, and six retired leaders were granted release from Lancaster Mennonite Conference. The separation was by mutual agreement and with the official sanction and blessing of Lancaster conference, and resulted from a discussion process that extended over 14 years, 1985-1999. KMF was organized to provide a structure for fellowship and practice among congregations of like beliefs and convictions. The 15 congregations included: Blandon Mennonite Fellowship, Bradford Mennonite Church, Cross Roads Mennonite Church, East District Mennonite Church, Fairview Mennonite Church, Faith Mennonite Fellowship, Living Water Mennonite Fellowship, Marietta Mennonite Church, Myerstown Mennonite Church, Oak Shade Mennonite Church, Oakwood Mennonite Church, Rawlinsville Mennonite Church, Tidings of Peace Mennonite Church, Valley Mennonite Church, and Womelsdorf Mennonite Church. They were joined by Lock Haven Mennonite Church, an unaffiliated congregation.
Keystone Mennonite Fellowship adheres to the 1963 Mennonite Confession of Faith and an additional written supplement as its standard of faith and practice. Some areas addressed in the supplement include: the sanctity of life, God’s delegation of leadership in the church to men, the permanency of marriage, discipleship and nonconformity, love and nonresistance, and the separation of church and state.
The KMF Messenger is the bimonthly periodical published by the publication committee. It contains fellowship-wide news and articles on Christian living and biblical doctrines.
Fellowship programs include: Christian worker workshops, leadership training sessions, semi-annual assembly conferences, monthly bishop meetings, and annual winter Bible schools. Other activities include summer children’s camps, youth activities, a three-day summer youth conference, and activities for singles.
KMF is a participating member of Olive Branch Mennonite Missions. KMF provides several board members as well as personnel for programs in Grenada, Nicaragua, and Cherry Creek, South Dakota. It also participates with Christian Aid Ministries for world material aid and for disaster response.
In 2009 there were 19 congregations with a total of 1,473 members located in eight counties in Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland:
| Congregation | City | State | Founded | Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blandon Mennonite Fellowship | Blandon | Pennsylvania | 1989 | 49 |
| Bradford Mennonite Church | Bradford | Pennsylvania | 1992 | 37 |
| Cross Roads Mennonite Church | Richfield | Pennsylvania | 1774 | 133 |
| East District Mennonite Church | Watsontown | Pennsylvania | 1959 | 125 |
| Fairview Mennonite Church | Reading | Pennsylvania | 1946 | 120 |
| Faith Mennonite Fellowship | Stevens | Pennsylvania | 1985 | 203 |
| Lichty's Mennonite Church | East Earl | Pennsylvania | 1889 | 120 |
| Living Water Mennonite Fellowship | Reinholds | Pennsylvania | 1995 | 96 |
| Lock Haven Mennonite Church | Lock Haven | Pennsylvania | 1996 | 41 |
| Marietta Mennonite Church | Marietta | Pennsylvania | 1938 | 52 |
| Mount Hope Mennonite Church | Manheim | Pennsylvania | 1982 | 65 |
| Myerstown Mennonite Church | Myerstown | Pennsylvania | 1958 | 135 |
| Oak Shade Mennonite Church | Quarryville | Pennsylvania | 1933 | 29 |
| Oakwood Mennonite Church | Conowingo | Maryland | 1950 | 27 |
| Rawlinsville Mennonite Church | Holtwood | Pennsylvania | 1926 | 57 |
| Tidings of Peace Mennonite Church | York | Pennsylvania | 1950 | 22 |
| Valley Mennonite Church | Madisonburg | Pennsylvania | 1958 | 35 |
| Word of Life Mennonite Fellowship | Lititz | Pennsylvania | 2003 | 103 |
| Zion Christian Fellowship | Lebanon | Pennsylvania | 2000 | 24 |
| Total | 1,473 |
Bibliography
Mennonite Church Directory 2010. Harrisonburg, VA: Christian Light Publications, Inc., 2010: 74-76.
Oswald, Laurie L. "15 Churches Leave Lancaster Conference." Mennonite Weekly Review (27 May 1999): 1-2.
| Author(s) | Isaac W. Gehman |
|---|---|
| Richard D. Thiessen | |
| Date Published | May 2012 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Gehman, Isaac W. and Richard D. Thiessen. "Keystone Mennonite Fellowship." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2012. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Keystone_Mennonite_Fellowship&oldid=65934.
APA style
Gehman, Isaac W. and Richard D. Thiessen. (May 2012). Keystone Mennonite Fellowship. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Keystone_Mennonite_Fellowship&oldid=65934.
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