St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA)
The St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, began in 1984 as an outreach from Faith Mennonite Church in Minneapolis. Helen Quintela, a member of Faith, served as the formal church planter. The new group wanted to respond to racial tensions in St. Paul's west side, largely a Hispanic area. Alberto Quintela, Helen's husband, had served on social service agencies in the area and advised the General Conference Mennonite Church on Hispanic ministries. The new St. Paul group initially met as a Bible study in homes and then in the Neighborhood House Community Center, a local social service agency. Helen Quintela was licensed as the pastor in February 1986.
In 1988, the congregation began hosting a Mennonite Voluntary Service Unit; this continued until 2001.
In September 1988, St. Paul was commissioned as a congregation and became independent of Faith Mennonite Church.
Initially, the Iowa-Nebraska Mennonite Conference of the Mennonite Church (MC) and the Northern District of the General Conference Mennonite Church provided financial assistance.
In the early 1990s, the congregation experienced upheaval over a variety of issues, including homosexuality, abuse, theological concerns, leadership, and how decisions were made and who makes them. Both conferences ceased their financial support of the congregation at that time.
St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship became part of the Central Plains Mennonite Conference after the merger of several regional conferences. That conference suspended St. Paul's right to vote in 2003 because of its acceptance of LGBTQ persons. This status eventually led the congregation to explore joining the Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA in 2010. The Central District Conference accepted St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship as a member in June 2012.
Bibliography
"Conference restores, disciplines congregations." TheMennonite 6, no. 15 (5 August 2003): 6-7.
"Helen Quintela...." The Mennonite 99, no. 25 (4 December 1984): 591.
Holdeman, Arlene. "Minneapolis church commissions its 'daughter'." The Mennonite 103, no. 20 (25 October 1988): 470.
"Mennonites in St. Paul, Minn." The Mennonite 100, no. 6 (26 March 1985): 133.
"Our history." St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship. 2021? Web. 21 December 2022. https://www.saintpaulmennonite.org/history.html.
Penner, Larry. "Northern District cuts funds to mission church." The Mennonite 110, no. 8 (25 April 1995): 13-14.
Reimer, Carla. "NDC discusses St. Paul church." The Mennonite 109, no. 13 (12 July 1994): 16-17.
Rich, Elaine Sommers, ed. Walking Together in Faith: The Central District Conference, 1957-1990. Bluffton, Ohio: The Conference, 2003.
Schmidt, Diena, ed. Northern District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church 1891-1991 Freeman, S. Dakota: The Conference, 1991: 66-68.
"St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship" The Mennonite 101, no. 5 (11 March 1986): 111.
Zuercher, Melanie A. "NDC processes St. Paul, fosters mission churches." The Mennonite 110, no. 13 (11 July 1995): 17.
Additional Information
Meeting Address: Cherokee Park United Church, 371 West Baker Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55107
Phone: 651-291-0647
Website: https://www.saintpaulmennonite.org/
Denominational Affiliations: Central District Conference
Pastoral Leaders at St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Helen Wells Quintela | 1984-1997 |
| Lisa Pierce (Interim) | 1997-1998 |
| Lay Leaders | 1998- |
Membership at St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1986 | 12 |
| 1990 | 27 |
| 2000 | 15 |
| 2009 | 19 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | December 2022 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2022. Web. 23 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=St._Paul_Mennonite_Fellowship_(St._Paul,_Minnesota,_USA)&oldid=174441.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (December 2022). St. Paul Mennonite Fellowship (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=St._Paul_Mennonite_Fellowship_(St._Paul,_Minnesota,_USA)&oldid=174441.
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