View source for New Pittsburg Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Wayne County, Ohio, USA)

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The [[Eight Square Old Order Mennonite Church (Wayne County, Ohio, USA)|Eight Square Mennonite Church]] was located near New Pittsburg in Chester Township in western [[Wayne County (Ohio, USA)|Wayne County]], [[Ohio (USA)|Ohio]], USA. The church house was built on the southwest corner of the Christian Holdeman farm. Christian was [[Holdeman, John (1832-1900)|John Holdeman's]] grandfather, and John became a member of that congregation in 1853 when he was baptized by Bishop Abraham Rohrer from [[Medina County (Ohio, USA)|Medina County]], Ohio.

In 1859 John Holdeman separated from the [[Mennonite Church (MC)]] and began to hold separate meetings. A small number of families followed him. This made up a small congregation that gathered in homes for their worship services. In 1878 they built a church house about a mile from the Eight Square Church. This was located on Amos Holdeman's farm. They worshiped here until most, or all of the members moved to [[Jasper Church of God in Christ Mennonite (Jasper, Missouri, USA)|Jasper County]], [[Missouri (USA)|Missouri]] in 1883. This church, known as the "Johnny Holdeman church" by the people of the area, was about 20 miles northeast of the present [[Rock of Ages Church of God in Christ Mennonite Church (Kidron, Ohio, USA)|Rock of Ages Congregation]]. It was also about 25 miles southwest of the congregation in southern Medina County, near [[River Styx Church of God in Christ Mennonite Church (River Styx, Ohio, USA)|River Styx]], Ohio.

In the June 1908 ''[[Messenger of Truth (Periodical)|Messenger of Truth]]'', it is recorded that [[Fricke, Fredrick C. (1867-1947)|F. C. Fricke]] visited Samuel Shaum, who lived near Wooster, Ohio. Either the Shaums came to the church after the others had gone to Missouri, or else they stayed behind. Various ministers visited them until 1909, when his barn burned down. They then sold their farm and moved to [[Newark Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (Ithaca, Michigan, USA)|Ithaca]], [[Michigan (USA)|Michigan]], arriving there 9 April 1909. This must have been the last of the members living in western Wayne County until the start of the Rock of Ages congregation in 1951.

Probably at least 30 people were in the migration to Missouri. Not much is known about all the reasons why the group moved away from Ohio. 

= Bibliography =
''Histories of the congregations.'' 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 445-446.
= Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article =
By P. G. Hiebert. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from ''Mennonite Encyclopedia'', Vol. 3, p. 863. All rights reserved.

The New Pittsburg [[Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (CGC)|Church of God in Christ, Mennonite]] Church, now extinct, was located in Chester Township,[[Wayne County (Ohio, USA)|Wayne County]], [[Ohio (USA)|Ohio]]. It was organized in 1859 with [[Holdeman, John (1832-1900)|John Holdeman]] as minister and a membership of 20. During the first 19 years services were conducted in homes of the members. In 1878 a modest meetinghouse was built. This congregation became extinct in 1883 when nearly all its members moved to [[Missouri (USA)|Missouri]] or other congregations.
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