First Mennonite Church of Columbia (Ellicott City, Maryland, USA)
The Maple Grove Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), near Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland, about 20 miles (33 km) southwest of Baltimore, was a member of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. The Cottage City, Maryland, congregation had begun contact in this area in 1934. In 1935 and 1937 tent meetings were held, which resulted in 15 converts. A meetinghouse was built soon thereafter. The membership in 1957 was 33, with Walter Shank as pastor and Lloy S. Kniss as bishop. Mount Airy, a former mission point of the Maple Grove church, became an independent congregation in 1957.
The congregation changed its name to First Mennonite Church of Columbia in about 1973. It merged with Guilford Road Mennonite Church to become New Life Mennonite Church in 2007.
Bibliography
Shenk, R. J. "Cottage City, Md." Gospel Herald 30, no. 30 (21 October 1937): 629.
Additional Information
Address: 9580 Old Rte 108, Ellicott City Maryland 21042
Telephone:
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Lancaster Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at First Mennonite Church of Columbia
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Ray J. Shenk (1896-1985) | 1935-1946 |
| Walter A. Shank (1917-2007) | 1946-1982 |
| John Daniel Miller (1929-2018) | 1971-1985 1990-2007 |
| Gerald Sauder | 1982-1986 |
| Willard Kauffman | 1986-1990 |
First Mennonite Church of Columbia Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1940 | 7 |
| 1950 | 47 |
| 1960 | 25 |
| 1970 | 20 |
| 1980 | 26 |
| 1990 | 22 |
| 2000 | 15 |
| 2007 | 22 |
| Author(s) | Ira D Landis |
|---|---|
| Samuel J. Steiner | |
| Date Published | 1957 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Landis, Ira D and Samuel J. Steiner. "First Mennonite Church of Columbia (Ellicott City, Maryland, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 12 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=First_Mennonite_Church_of_Columbia_(Ellicott_City,_Maryland,_USA)&oldid=181379.
APA style
Landis, Ira D and Samuel J. Steiner. (1957). First Mennonite Church of Columbia (Ellicott City, Maryland, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 12 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=First_Mennonite_Church_of_Columbia_(Ellicott_City,_Maryland,_USA)&oldid=181379.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 474. All rights reserved.
©1996-2026 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.