Milford Mennonite Church (Milford, Nebraska, USA)
The Milford Amish Mennonite Church, Milford, Nebraska, USA, emerged out of division from the East Fairview led by minister William Schlegel and deacon, Levi O. Schlegel. Soon after the new congregation organized, Christian E. Krehbiel, Field Secretary of the General Conference Mennonite Church, ordained Levi Schlegel as Elder (Bishop) on 6 September 1925.
Despite its early link to the General Conference Mennonite Church, the Milford congregation remained independent until it joined the Iowa-Nebraska Conference of the Mennonite Church (MC) in September 1938.
Milford Amish Mennonite built a frame church in 1926. It renovated and enlarged the building in 1953.
Levi Schlegel was theologically conservative and a strict disciplinarian. If women cut their hair, they could not take communion. He was also a vocal premillennialist who used maps and charts to predict the end times. Later in life, he withdrew from the conference because it did not take a strict enough stance against divorce and remarriage.
On 1 January 1954, the congregation officially changed its name to "The Milford Mennonite Church."
A division in the congregation took place in 1959, partly because the congregation's leadership refused to participate in the Myron Augsburger revival meetings because non-Mennonite churches also sponsored it. The division led to the formation of the Beth-El Mennonite Church and the departure of 60 members.
As part of the realignment of the Mennonite Church (MC) and General Conference Mennonite Church into Mennonite Church USA, Milford Mennonite was among the congregations that joined the new Central Plains Mennonite Conference in 2000.
In 2023 the congregation was part of the Central Plains Conference of Mennonite Church USA.
Bibliography
"Iowa-Nebraska Conference held with the Wood River, Neb., Congregation, Sept. 8 and 9, 1938." Gospel Herald 31, no. 27 (6 October 1938): 581-582.
Mennonite Year Book and Almanac (1927): 51.
Yoder, Holly Blosser. The same spirit: History of Iowa-Nebraska Mennonites. Freeman, S.D.: Central Plains Mennonite Conference, 2003: 161-167, 170.
Additional Information
Address: 920 Third Street, Milford, Nebraska 68405
Phone: 402-761-2244
Website:
Denominational Affiliations: Central Plains Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Milford Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Levi O. "L. O." Schlegel (1885-1982)(Bishop) | 1925-1956 |
| William Schlegel (1880-1949) | 1925-1949 |
| Warren A. Eicher (1893-1977) | 1928-1959 |
| Milton C. Troyer (1922-1979) (Bishop) |
1954-1956 1956-1979 |
| S. Clark Rediger (Interim) | 1980 |
| Kenneth Steckly | 1981?-1983? |
| Cloy M. Troyer (1929-2015) | 1985?-1991? |
| Robert L. Troyer | 1991?-2001? |
| Lewis W. Miller | 2001?-2005 |
| Timothy J. Springer | 2007?- |
Membership at Milford Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1925 | 81 |
| 1940 | 178 |
| 1950 | 169 |
| 1960 | 150 |
| 1970 | 83 |
| 1980 | 109 |
| 1990 | 114 |
| 2000 | 135 |
| 2009 | 135 |
| 2020 | 135 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Levi O. Schlegel. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 688. All rights reserved.
Milford Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), located in Milford, Seward County, Nebraska, a member of the Iowa-Nebraska Mennonite Conference, was organized on 19 November 1925, with 81 charter members, under the leadership of L. O. Schlegel, bishop, and William Schlegel, minister, as a schism from the East Fairview Mennonite Church.
After a period of attempted affiliation with the General Conference Mennonite Church the congregation returned and was received as a member of the Iowa-Nebraska Conference on 8 August 1938. The first meetinghouse, a frame structure, was erected in 1926, modernized and enlarged to a seating capacity of 400 in 1953.
The 1956 membership was 205 with L. O. Schlegel as bishop and W. A. Eicher and Milton Troyer as ministers. On 3 June 1956 Milton Troyer was ordained bishop and L. O. Schlegel resigned from active service.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Milford Mennonite Church (Milford, Nebraska, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2023. Web. 20 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Milford_Mennonite_Church_(Milford,_Nebraska,_USA)&oldid=175900.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (June 2023). Milford Mennonite Church (Milford, Nebraska, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 20 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Milford_Mennonite_Church_(Milford,_Nebraska,_USA)&oldid=175900.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.