Tucumcari Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Spanish Mission (Tucumcari, New Mexico, USA)
In 1948 irrigation for farming opened up around Tucumcari, New Mexico, USA, about 50 miles from Trementina. Most Spanish-speaking families who had been part of the small Church of God in Christ, Mennonite congregation in Trementina moved to Tucumcari to take up farming there. By the following year, there were about 20 Spanish-speaking members in and around Tucumcari. During this time, a mission farm and home were acquired through a private donation by a brother who had a heart for the mission cause. Also, a plot of ground was purchased for a church and cemetery location. A new church building was erected and dedicated to serve the congregation and promote the work in the area.
On 21 November 1948, Juan Estrada was ordained as a minister; he served the congregation for a number of years with the assistance of other ministers and missionaries.
The congregation prospered for a few years, but with time interest began to wane.
During the Korean War, the denomination's Christian Public Service committee established a Public Service Preparatory Center in the Tucumcari area with a work and service center of considerable size. This brought new life and activities to the congregation.
Different ministers and deacons and their wives resided at the mission home and helped in the work. Deacon Simon Wedel and his wife of Copeland, Kansas, did much to get the work, mission home, and the church started. Later, he also served as the Christian Public Service Center administrator for several years. Dennis Smith with his family moved from Burns, Kansas, to Tucumcari in the fall of 1958 and served as minister for several years.
The Christian Public Service Center became the home of the Christian Public Service Preparatory Classes for young men who faced the military draft at that time. Albert Unruh from Montezuma, Kansas, was the first teacher for these classes and taught a number of years. Many young brethren facing the draft benefited from these classes in preparation for their future service. This center also developed into an experimental agricultural farm program where many young brethren from all over the United States served their time instead of military service.
The Tucumcari unit was closed in 1968. About the same time, the Christian Public Service committee felt there would be advantages to holding the preparatory classes in the congregations, and all operations at Tucumcari ceased. The first classes were held in the congregations in 1969, but the Tucumcari congregation ceased.
Bibliography
Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 418-420.
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Melvin Gingerich. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1127. All rights reserved.
Spanish American Mission (Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (CGC)), Tucumcari, New Mexico, had a membership of 27 in 1959, with Dennis Smith as a minister. It was first listed in the Yearbook (CGC) for 1950 as the Tucumcari Mission.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | February 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Tucumcari Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Spanish Mission (Tucumcari, New Mexico, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2021. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Tucumcari_Church_of_God_in_Christ,_Mennonite_Spanish_Mission_(Tucumcari,_New_Mexico,_USA)&oldid=169999.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (February 2021). Tucumcari Church of God in Christ, Mennonite Spanish Mission (Tucumcari, New Mexico, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Tucumcari_Church_of_God_in_Christ,_Mennonite_Spanish_Mission_(Tucumcari,_New_Mexico,_USA)&oldid=169999.
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