Pinecrest Mennonite Church (Stapleton, Georgia, USA)
The Pinecrest Mennonite Church, six miles northwest of Louisville, Georgia, USA, was established in 1954. The congregation started when families in Michigan explored colonizing in a new area in the early 1950s. Ultimately three families purchased an 800-acre cotton farm and divided it. They converted the land to grain farming and added dairy and hog farming. Later, when dairy farming decreased, some members engaged in excavation and construction work.
The congregation was formally organized on 9 May 1954. It built a cinder-block building for Sunday school and worship and used it until 1961, when a larger facility was constructed. This building has been enlarged multiple times.
Beginning in 1957, a mission to African Americans began in Midville, Georgia. The Eastern District Mission Board of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite took over this work in 1962. A church was constructed, but the mission was closed in the 1960s, and a few persons attended Pinecrest.
In the early 1990s, the congregation believed it was time to launch a daughter congregation. Harmony Springs was established in 1992. In 1994 Pinecrest helped launch the North Georgia congregation.
At various times in its history, Pinecrest has engaged in prison ministry at a nearby state prison, the county jail, and the prison for women near Davisboro, Georgia.
The Pinecrest Mennonite School began in 1969; it was one of the earliest private schools in the denomination. Objections to the public system included its greater use of educational television and the teaching of evolution and sex education. Classes were first held in the church annex. In 1971 a new school building was opened across the road from the church. A shop was added in 1978, and further expansion took place in 1987.
In 2020 the congregation was part of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The ministers were Joshua Hodgin, James Seiler, and Randal Goossen.
Bibliography
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Yearbook (1995-2020).
Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 222-227.
Additional Information
Address: 4272 Mennonite Church Road, Stapleton, Georgia 30823
Phone: 478-625-3394
Website: http://pinecrestmennonite.com/
Denominational Affiliations:
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Ordained Pastors at the Pinecrest Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Reno Hibner (1922-1995) | 1954-1970 |
| Maynard Peters | 1962-2010 |
| Paul Wenger (1921-2004) | 1971-2004 |
| Kenneth Diller | 1975-1980 |
| Danver Nichols | 1986-1992 |
| Randal Goossen | 1996-present |
| Brian Dyck | 2001-2018 |
| James Seiler | 2014-present |
| Joshua Hodgin | 2014-present |
Membership at Pinecrest Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 206 |
| 2000 | 218 |
| 2010 | 197 |
| 2020 | 199 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | December 2020 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Pinecrest Mennonite Church (Stapleton, Georgia, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2020. Web. 25 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Pinecrest_Mennonite_Church_(Stapleton,_Georgia,_USA)&oldid=169615.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (December 2020). Pinecrest Mennonite Church (Stapleton, Georgia, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Pinecrest_Mennonite_Church_(Stapleton,_Georgia,_USA)&oldid=169615.
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