In 1902, several families, most of them members of the Hutterthal Mennonite Church in Freeman, South Dakota, moved to Beadle County, South Dakota. Initially, they met in homes and later in schoolhouses.

In 1906 the group purchased a former Presbyterian church whose members had moved away. It organized as the Hutterthal Mennonite Church, named after the village in which they lived in Russia. The congregation constructed a new church in 1949, dedicating it on 9 May 1949.

The Hutterthal congregation began a Sunday school almost immediately after it was organized. Christian Endeavor began in 1926.

The Hutterthal Mennonite Church joined the Northern District of the General Conference Mennonite Church in 1941.

The Hutterthal Mennonite Church formally left the General Conference Mennonite Church in 1995. In a 23 June 1995 letter to conference officials, Hutterthal leaders expressed concern over departures from the basic doctrines on which the conferences were founded. Specific points of dissension included the ordination of women, further dialogue on homosexuality in the church, and the teaching of "feminist theology." Despite fond memories of the conference and its programs, the letter concluded, "We cannot condone the departure from God's Word any longer. We leave with love and without ill feelings."

In 2006 Hutterthal Mennonite Church celebrated its 100th anniversary through various activities. In the summer of 2010, Hutterthal Mennonite Church changed its name to Prairie Bible Church as it felt that the name "Mennonite" no longer described who it was.

Bibliography

Author(s)	Samuel J Steiner
Date Published	October 2023

"The Hutterthal Mennonite Church of Carpenter, S.D...." The Mennonite 110, no. 17 (12 September 1995): 17.

Schmidt, Diena, ed. The Northern District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church 1891-1991. Freeman, S.D.: The Conference, 1991: 156.

Additional Information

Address: 40655 Highway 28, Carpenter, South Dakota 57322

Phone: 724-249-5921

Website: https://www.prairiebiblechurch.org/

Denominational Affiliations: Northern District Conference (until 1995)

General Conference Mennonite Church (until 1995)

Pastoral Leaders at Prairie Bible Church

Name	Years of Service
Joseph M. Hofer (1862-1936)	1906-1936
Elias J. Wipf (1868-1933)	?-1933
Jacob W. Kleinsasser (1885-1969)	1920-1922
Joseph J. Hofer (1896-1970)	1946-1948
Paul J. R. Hofer (1890-1979)	1943?-1956
Edward Duerksen (1892-1979)	1957-1959
Paul F. Goossen (1930-2015)	1959-1968
Menno Pullman (1921-1981)	1968-1975
Melvin C. Norquist (1916-2007)	1975-1982
Russell Hobbs	1982-1984
Frank L. Fast	1985-?

Prairie Bible Church Membership

Year	Members
1940	150
1950	135
1960	197
1970	218
1980	236
1990	222
1995	207

Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article

The Hutterthal Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite), located near Hitchcock and Carpenter in Beadle County, South Dakota, was a member of the Northern District Conference. The congregation was first organized in 1906 under the leadership of Joseph M. Hofer. The original building was purchased from the Methodists and was replaced with a new structure in 1949. The membership increased from 80 to 176 in 1954. In addition to Joseph M. Hofer, the congregation was served by Elias J. Wipf, Joseph J. Hofer, and Paul J. R. Hofer, who was the pastor in 1954.

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "Prairie Bible Church (Carpenter, South Dakota, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2023. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Prairie_Bible_Church_(Carpenter,_South_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=177636.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (October 2023). Prairie Bible Church (Carpenter, South Dakota, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Prairie_Bible_Church_(Carpenter,_South_Dakota,_USA)&oldid=177636.

Prairie Bible Church (Carpenter, South Dakota, USA)

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