Locust Grove Mennonite Church (Elkhart, Indiana, USA)
Students who were part of the Young People's Christian Association (YPCA) at Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana, launched the Locust Grove Mennonite Church, located southwest of Elkhart. They held a Sunday school in the Locust Grove area beginning in 1943. Preaching services were added, and services were held in a private home until 1950. Russell Krabill was ordained as the first local minister in 1945.
The congregation built a meetinghouse on the north side of County Road 20 in 1949/1950. The first services were held in the new building on 5 March 1950.
The congregation closed in 1993; it was last listed in the 1993 Mennonite Yearbook.
In 2023, the former Locust Grove church was occupied by the New Foundation United in Christ Fellowship.
Bibliography
"The first service...." Gospel Herald 43, no. 11 (14 March 1950): 260.
Preheim, Rich. In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. Harrisonburg, Va.: Herald Press, 2016: 310.
Wenger, John Christian. The Mennonites in Indiana and Michigan. Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press, 1961: 218-219.
Additional Information
Address: 28103 County Rd 20, Elkhart, Indiana 46517
Telephone:
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Locust Grove Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Student Leaders | 1943-1945 |
| Russell R. Krabill (1917-2005) | 1945-1948 |
| Ralph J. Stahly (1909-1986) (Bishop) |
1948-1954 1954-1961 |
| Willard M. Swartley (1936-2019) | 1961-1965 |
| Willard Ressler | 1965-1973 |
| Aden Horst (1920-2008) | 1973-1981 |
| Marvin Yoder (Interim) | 1981-1982 |
| J. Michael Loss | 1982-1987 |
| Dean E. G. Roberts | 1988-1989 |
| Theodore M. "Ted" Eash (1936-2009) | 1989-1992 |
Locust Grove Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1946 | 27 |
| 1950 | 47 |
| 1960 | 54 |
| 1970 | 81 |
| 1980 | 54 |
| 1990 | 34 |
| 1993 | 33 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Ralph Stahly. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 384. All rights reserved.
Locust Grove Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), located five miles southwest of Elkhart, Indiana, is a member of the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. It developed out of a Sunday school mission operated by students of Goshen College and was organized with its own pastor (Russell Krabill) in 1945. In 1948 Ralph Stahly was ordained as pastor, and in 1954 as bishop. The membership in 1956 was 54. The meetinghouse was built in 1950.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Locust Grove Mennonite Church (Elkhart, Indiana, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2024. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Locust_Grove_Mennonite_Church_(Elkhart,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179265.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (June 2024). Locust Grove Mennonite Church (Elkhart, Indiana, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Locust_Grove_Mennonite_Church_(Elkhart,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179265.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.