Open Door Mennonite Fellowship (Reading, Pennsylvania, USA)
Open Door Mennonite Fellowship, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA, was established in 1996 to relieve the crowded conditions of the Pleasant Valley Mennonite Church (MAMF). In February 1996, a vacant church building was found along Blimline Road in Brecknock Township, near the Berks County line. A vote taken at a men's meeting on 29 February 1996 was favorable to purchase the building. Remodeling began in the spring of 1996 under the supervision of a building committee. The name chosen for the new congregation was Open Door Mennonite Fellowship.
Thirteen families from Pleasant Valley committed to the new work at Open Door. A members meeting to organize the congregation took place in July 1996. Bishop Ray Weaver, from the Blue Ball congregation, served as bishop. Arthur Good, who was transferring from Pleasant Valley, served as minister. Pleasant Valley's deacon, Melvin Martin, helped with deacon work.
The first church service was held at Open Door on 11 August 1996 with 81 present and 44 charter members. The first ordination was held 12 February 1997, with Lester Z. Burkholder ordained as minister. He shared the lot with Marcus Good. Later that year, on 16 November 1997, Marcus Good was ordained as deacon. Six years later, on 16 November 2003, Gerald S. Martin was ordained as minister to assist Arthur Good.
Due to health issues and a heavy work load with starting another church, Ray Weaver asked to be relieved of bishop duties at Open Door. On 19 February 2006, Lester Z. Burkholder was ordained as bishop for Open Door. His ministerial position was filled on 7 December 2008, when James Good was ordained as minister.
In 2013, Open Door had 114 members with missionaries serving in Nicaragua, Thailand, and Grenada.
Bibliography
Stauffer, Romaine, ed. Mid-Atlantic Mennonite Fellowship 1972-2013. Myerstown, Pa.: Little Mountain Printing, 2014.
Additional Information
Address: 176 Blimline Road, Reading, Pa. 19608.
Phone: 610-775-7730
Website
Denominational Affiliations: Mid-Atlantic Mennonite Fellowship
Open Door Mennonite Fellowship Pastoral Leaders
| Ministers | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Arthur Good | 1996-2011 |
| Lester Z. Burkholder | 1997-present |
| Gerald S. Martin | 2003-present |
| James Good | 2008-present |
Map
Map:Open Door Mennonite Fellowship (Reading, Pennsylvania, USA)
| Author(s) | Romaine Stauffer |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2014 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Stauffer, Romaine. "Open Door Mennonite Fellowship (Reading, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2014. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Open_Door_Mennonite_Fellowship_(Reading,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=133252.
APA style
Stauffer, Romaine. (June 2014). Open Door Mennonite Fellowship (Reading, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Open_Door_Mennonite_Fellowship_(Reading,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=133252.
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