Sun Valley Mennonite Church (El Mirage, Arizona, USA)
The Sun Valley Mennonite Church in El Mirage, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, began as a mission station of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, in 1964. Originally Henry and Annabelle Smith worked as missionaries in Phoenix beginning in 1961 but shifted to Le Mirage (about 20 miles northwest of Phoenix) to a more promising mission field. The mission board built a small church in El Mirage in 1964. The congregation formally organized in 1975. Most converts were from Spanish American culture.
The early missionaries became self-supporting by working in yard maintenance and landscaping. Early missionary couples included Harold and Yvonne Schmidt, John and Mary Ann Friesen, Ervin and Fern Ensz, and Edward and Susie Schmidt. Harold Schmidt returned to serve as pastor in 1971.
School started in 1978 in the church's Sunday school rooms; a new school was erected in 1985. The congregation built a larger church on the same property as the school in 1993.
Because of the mild climate, the congregation received many visitors during the winter months.
In 2020 the congregation was part of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The ministers were Kyron Koehn and Steve Koehn.
Bibliography
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Yearbook (2001-2020).
Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 183-185.
Additional Information
Address: 12313 Desert Cove, El Mirage, Arizona 85335
Phone: 623-583-8231
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Ordained Pastors at the Sun Valley Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Harold Schmidt (1933-2017) | 1971-1977 |
| Edward Schmidt | 1977-1978 |
| Lester R. Koehn (1932-1993) | 1979-1993 |
| Errol R. Wedel (1939-2016) | 1993-2005< br />2010-2016 |
| Wesley Ensz | 1993-2002 |
| Steve Koehn | 2000?-present |
| Brian Decker | 2012-2015 |
| Kyron Koehn | 2019-present |
Membership at Sun Valley Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1989 | 108 |
| 2000 | 80 |
| 2010 | 95 |
| 2020 | 67 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | November 2020 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Sun Valley Mennonite Church (El Mirage, Arizona, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2020. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Sun_Valley_Mennonite_Church_(El_Mirage,_Arizona,_USA)&oldid=169451.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (November 2020). Sun Valley Mennonite Church (El Mirage, Arizona, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Sun_Valley_Mennonite_Church_(El_Mirage,_Arizona,_USA)&oldid=169451.
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