Shalom Mennonite Congregation (Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA)
The Shalom Mennonite Congregation in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA, began in 1986 as an outreach to students and others. It initially met on the campus of Eastern Mennonite College.
In 1989 the congregation supported the ordination of one of its leaders, Ruth Brunk Stoltzfus. Hers was the first ordination of a woman in the Virginia Mennonite Conference.
From 1998 to 2005, the congregation went through a difficult relationship with the Virginia Mennonite Conference. One of its pastors, Kathleen Temple, also a professor at Eastern Mennonite University, actively supported a welcoming posture towards persons in same-sex relationships. She resigned from her ordination in 2002 and left the pastoral position in late 2003. Subsequently, after discussions that began in 2003, Shalom Mennonite transferred its affiliation from the Virginia Conference to the Central District Conference in 2005. The Central District allowed greater congregational polity autonomy.
In 2022 the congregation remained part of the Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA.
Bibliography
Miller, Kelly M. "'Church discipline': Behind Mennonite same-sex sexuality debates: Kathleen Temple and Virginia Mennonite Conference, 1998-2002." Peace Theology. 19 April 2011. Web. 15 December 2022. https://peacetheology.net/homosexuality/church-discipline/.
"Shalom Mennonite joins Central District." TheMennonite 8, no. 16 (23 August 2005): 6.
Thomas, Everett J. "Congregations may now switch conferences." TheMennonite 7, no. 14 (20 July 2004): 6.
Additional Information
Meeting Address: Eastern Mennonite School Dining Hall, 801 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Phone: 540-432-1659
Website: https://shalommc.org/
Denominational Affiliations: Central District Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Shalom Mennonite Congregation
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Lay Leadership | 1986-1988? |
| Ruth Brunk Stoltzfus (1915-2008) (Ordained member, Leadership Team) |
1988?-1994 |
| Earl S. Zimmerman | 1993?-2004 |
| Kathleen Temple | 1998-2003 |
| Emily Beth North | 2004-2013 |
| Brian E. Bolton | 2014-present |
| Krista Showalter Ehst (Pastoral Care) | 2021-present |
| Georgia Metz (Formation) | 2021-present |
Membership at Shalom Mennonite Congregation
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 7 |
| 2000 | 18 |
| 2009 | 63 |
| 2020 | 130 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | December 2022 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Shalom Mennonite Congregation (Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2022. Web. 25 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Shalom_Mennonite_Congregation_(Harrisonburg,_Virginia,_USA)&oldid=174429.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (December 2022). Shalom Mennonite Congregation (Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Shalom_Mennonite_Congregation_(Harrisonburg,_Virginia,_USA)&oldid=174429.
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