Volendam Mennonite Church (Colony Volendam, San Pedro Department, Paraguay)
Volendam Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite [GCM]), located in Colony Volendam near Puerto Mbopicua, a member of the South American District Conference and also of the General Conference Mennonite Church, was organized temporarily in 1947 and fully approved on 15 April 1948, under the leadership of Hans Epp, with a membership of 599, all of whom were immigrants from Russia via Germany through the Mennonite Central Committee during 1947-48. The membership in the late 1950s was 800 and was served by two ordained ministers, Hans Epp and Jakob Priess, and nine young unordained ministers, none of whom had had special ministerial training. The ordained ministers received financial support from the GCM Church of North America. Church services were held regularly together with the Mennonite Brethren, except on the first Sunday of every month, when only members attended, in 12 school buildings in various villages. A new brick church was built near the village of Tiefenbrunn in 1950. In the late 1950s Saturday services known as "Wochenschluss," young people's instruction in Mennonite history and Bible, and Sunday school were held regularly. The church had four choirs. Church discipline was attempted but difficult to enforce at this early stage. Communion services were held six times each year.
| Author(s) | Hans P Epp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Hans P. "Volendam Mennonite Church (Colony Volendam, San Pedro Department, Paraguay)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 16 Feb 2025. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Volendam_Mennonite_Church_(Colony_Volendam,_San_Pedro_Department,_Paraguay)&oldid=85842.
APA style
Epp, Hans P. (1959). Volendam Mennonite Church (Colony Volendam, San Pedro Department, Paraguay). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 February 2025, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Volendam_Mennonite_Church_(Colony_Volendam,_San_Pedro_Department,_Paraguay)&oldid=85842.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 844. All rights reserved.
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