Norma Mennonite Church (Norma, New Jersey, USA)
The Norma Mennonite Church near Vineland, New Jersey, began as a church plant by the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. In the summer of 1956, a Bible school proved successful, leading the board to establish a Mennonite presence in the rural area of several thousand people, many of whom were Jewish refugees. The board leased an unused church four miles west of Vineland. A dedication service was held on 13 January 1957. The church's formation was assisted by a new Voluntary Service unit based in Norma and working at the Newcomb Hospital in Vineland.
Bibliography
"The Eastern Mission Board...." Gospel Herald 49, no. 49 (11 December 1956): 1157.
Additional Information
Address: 173 Almond Road, Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey 08347
Telephone: 856-405-0146
Website: https://normachurch.weebly.com/
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2017)
Pastoral Leaders at Norma Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Visiting Ministers | 1957-1960 |
| John G. Miller (1932-1984) | 1960-1984 |
| Marlin W. Sharp | 1984-1995 |
| Alfred E. Pilong (1930-2011) | 1990-1995 |
| Timothy J. Schultz | 1995-1999 |
| Timothy E. Darling | 2000-2019 |
| Paulus Thalathoti | 2021- |
| Elbert B. Johnson | 2025- |
Norma Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 3 |
| 1970 | 21 |
| 1980 | 32 |
| 1990 | 41 |
| 2000 | 36 |
| 2009 | 40 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By D. Stoner Krady. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 912. All rights reserved.
The Norma Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church (MC)), located at Norma near Vineland, New Jersey. It was opened in a Jewish refugee community by the Mission Board of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. The meetinghouse is a church, 24 x 40 ft., that had been closed. It was dedicated as a mission in January 1957. Amos Horst is the bishop in charge (1957).
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2026 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Norma Mennonite Church (Norma, New Jersey, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2026. Web. 12 Feb 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Norma_Mennonite_Church_(Norma,_New_Jersey,_USA)&oldid=181443.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (January 2026). Norma Mennonite Church (Norma, New Jersey, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 12 February 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Norma_Mennonite_Church_(Norma,_New_Jersey,_USA)&oldid=181443.
©1996-2026 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.