Stahl Mennonite Church (Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA)
Source: Mennonite Community Photograph Collection, The Congregation (HM4-134 Box 1 photo 010.1-21).
Mennonite Church USA Archives, Goshen, Indiana.
Stahl Mennonite Church (MC), located 6 miles south of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a member of the Allegheny Conference, had its first meetinghouse erected in 1882, called "Stahl" because the land was donated by John Stahl. This congregation was served by the Johnstown district ministry.
The point at which it can be considered a separately organized congregation is difficult to determine. The conference minutes speak of a "Johnstown congregation" as late as 1896, although there were at that time four meetinghouses (Blough-1836, Weaver-1855, Thomas-1874, and Stahl-1882), and not until 1900 was mention made of 5 "congregations" or meetinghouses in the Johnstown district (Elton was added in 1899), with a total membership of 487. The first Mennonite Yearbook and Directory (1905) lists Stahl with 176 members and S. G. Shetler (ordained 1897) and S. D. Yoder as ministers. Down to ca. 1940 all the congregations of the Johnstown district had one bishop. Stahl was S. G. Shetler's home congregation, and it was in its meetinghouse that he established (1922) and for many years (1925-35) served as principal of the Johnstown Bible School. Near the church the Johnstown Mennonite School was established in 1944, offering elementary and high-school work. In 1957 the Stahl congregation had a membership of 154, with Sanford G. Shetler as pastor and bishop (ordained 1952).
Bibliography
Groff, Anna. "Johnstown church forgives ex-pastor." The Mennonite 13, no. 5 (May 2010): 45.
Kaufman, Ammon. "Stahl Mennonite Church." Southwestern Pennsylvania Conference News VI (January 1948): 3.
Additional Information
Address: 1201 Soap Hollow Road, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15905-8119
Phone: 814-288-5523
Website: Stahl Mennonite Church
Denominational Affiliation:
Allegheny Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Stahl Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Levi A. Blough (1855-1936) | 1890-ca. 1900 |
| Samuel G. Shetler (1871-1942)(Deacon) Minister (Bishop) |
1894-1897 1897-1914 1915-1942 |
| Levi D. Yoder (Deacon) | 1897-1908 |
| Stephen D. Yoder (1868-1937) | 1900-1910 |
| William C. Hershberger (1876-1951) | 1912-1935 |
| John F. Harsberger (1872-1960)(Deacon) | 1913-1945 |
| Loranza Kaufman (1880-1944)(Deacon) | 1918-1944 |
| Lloy A. Kniss (1897-1979) (Bishop) |
1920-1925, 1942-1943 1943-1945 |
| Sanford G. Shetler (1912-1989) (Bishop) |
1932-1952 1952-1977 |
| David C. Alwine (1908-1981) | 1943-1951? |
| Harold E. Thomas (1911-2001) (Deacon) | 1946-1950 |
| Levi S. Thomas (1896-1951) (Deacon) | 1951 |
| Melvin Nussbaum (1920-1997) (Deacon) | 1951-1965 |
| Arthur G. McPhee | 1971-1973 |
| Marvin L. Kaufman (1933-2017) (Deacon) (Minister) |
1971-1977 1999-2002 |
| Curtis D. Godshall (1916-1990) | 1973-1982 |
| Daryl Alwine (1944-2021) (Deacon) | 1981-1985 |
| David S. Mishler (Deacon) | 1981-1982 |
| Marlin Shetler (Deacon) | 1981-1983 |
| Neil Lehman (Deacon) | 1982-1983 |
| Allen Holsopple | 1982-1987 |
| Harold A. Shenk | 1987-1999 |
| Mary Grace Shenk | 1990-1999 |
| Tom Croyle | 2002-2008 |
| Joy Cotchen (Youth) | 2002-? |
| Rose Bender (Interim) | 2008-2010 |
| Bob Brown | 2010-2016 |
| Jayne M. Byler | 2017-present |
Membership at Stahl Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1916 | 186 |
| 1925 | 173 |
| 1930 | 166 |
| 1940 | 160 |
| 1950 | 164 |
| 1960 | 154 |
| 1970 | 130 |
| 1980 | 150 |
| 1990 | 87 |
| 2000 | 106 |
| 2007 | 114 |
| 2020 | 70 |
| Author(s) | Harold S. Bender |
|---|---|
| Samuel J. Steiner | |
| Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Bender, Harold S. and Samuel J. Steiner. "Stahl Mennonite Church (Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Stahl_Mennonite_Church_(Johnstown,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=172470.
APA style
Bender, Harold S. and Samuel J. Steiner. (1959). Stahl Mennonite Church (Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Stahl_Mennonite_Church_(Johnstown,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=172470.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 609. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.