Pittsburgh Mennonite Church (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA)
The Pittsburgh Mennonite Church (PMC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA began in 1967 began when Sushil Ganguly, a young engineer, gathered others around the possibilities for an urban Mennonite presence in Pittsburgh modeled after the London Mennonite Centre where he had worshiped as a graduate student.
The congregation was recognized as part of the Allegheny Mennonite Conference in 1969. It met in a North Point Breeze building on Meade Street; this space was dedicated in July 1970. In its first decade, the congregation's membership ebbed and flowed, sometimes dropping to the mid-teens. James A. Burkholder led the leadership team in those first years.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the congregation offered hospitality to those in need. The Meade Street building that it still used as a house church also contained a number of apartments. International students, refugees, and family members of inmates all were welcomed to lodge at the church and join worship services. These were the years of the church as a sanctuary.
In 1992, PMC moved to a church building on Murray Avenue in the Greenfield neighborhood. Because the majority of members were young families with growing children, PMC shifted its focus toward supporting and guiding these young people and others into their adult lives. Expansions provided greater Sunday School capacity, and the church took an active role in supporting the Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Experience (PULSE), a one-year arts-based urban internship program designed to cultivate young leaders with a desire to transform Pittsburgh. PMC also started its Shoulder to Shoulder medical outreach project in Honduras. These were the years of church as a nourisher.
By the late 2000s, PMC had again expanded beyond its physical capacity. A number of the young adults involved in PULSE had stayed in Pittsburgh over the years, and more and more graduate students and other professionals found a home at PMC. Members were encouraged to join small groups and take part in service projects. Discussion began about seeking a larger building, and in 2009, PMC moved to its current location in Swissvale, east of downtown Pittsburgh.
Bibliography
"As part of its 'celebration of becoming' the Pittsburgh Mennonite Church...." Gospel Herald 63, no. 29 (28 July 1970): 641.
"PMC History." Pittsburgh Mennonite Church. Web. 6 October 2021. https://www.pittsburghmennonite.org/who-we-are/history/.
Additional Information
Address: 2018 South Braddock Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15218
Phone: 412-271-2104
Website: https://www.pittsburghmennonite.org/
Denominational Affiliations: Allegheny Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Pittsburgh Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| James A. Burkholder | 1967-1971 |
| Carl Mericle | 1972-1974 |
| Lay Leaders | 1974-1981 |
| Harold J. Wenger | 1981-1987 |
| Christine H. Wenger | 1984-1987 |
| John Stahl-Wert | 1988-1994? |
| Milonica Stahl-Wert | 1988-1990? |
| Luke Schrock-Hurst | 1997?- |
| Carmen Schrock-Hurst | 1997?- |
| John Paul Bender (1954-2016) | 2004?-2010? |
| David C. Swanson | 2015?-present |
Membership at Pittsburgh Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 23 |
| 1980 | 23 |
| 1990 | 53 |
| 2000 | 36 |
| 2007 | 39 |
| 2020 | 84 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | October 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Pittsburgh Mennonite Church (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2021. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Pittsburgh_Mennonite_Church_(Pittsburgh,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=172438.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (October 2021). Pittsburgh Mennonite Church (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Pittsburgh_Mennonite_Church_(Pittsburgh,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=172438.
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