West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
The West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship (WPMF) grew out of a small Bible study group from the Diamond Street Mennonite Church in the early 1980s that met in the home of Luke and Miriam Stoltzfus. This group had a vision for an internationally-focused Mennonite Church in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They agreed to be a core group for the emerging congregation and Diane Stitt was named as a church planter by the Franconia and Lancaster Mennonite conferences. Twenty-one people attended West Philadelphia’s first worship service on 1 July 1984. David Greiser and Diane Stitt served as the founding pastoral team.
In 2016 less than half of the congregation came from a traditional Mennonite heritage; the majority were from a variety of faith and cultural backgrounds. Over the years WPMF has sent many members into foreign service with Mennonite Central Committee and other mission agencies.
The congregation has always rented space, including the Second Mile Center on South 45th Street, and other venues. Since 2000 the congregation has met at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (CCCC), a 1906 United Methodist church building that is also home to the Calvary United Methodist Church, the Grace Chapel Pentecostal Church, and the Kol Tzedek Synagogue, as well as a number of cultural, non-profit and civic organizations.
In a 2016 self-description on its "who we are" web page, the congregation writes: "As followers of Christ, our task is to open the door and accept, in love and humility, whomever the Spirit draws inside. And so we welcome people of any ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, status, physical or mental ability to join us on this journey drawing closer to God."
In 2019 the congregation transferred its membership to the Allegheny Mennonite Conference.
Bibliography
"Directory." Mennonite Church USA. 2016. Web. 18 November 2016. http://mennoniteusa.org/who-we-are/directory/. (Search for West Philadelphia)
"Our history." West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship. 2016. Web. 18 November 2016. http://www.wpmf.org/about-us/#history.
Additional Information
Address: 4740 Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19143
Phone: 215-729-2050
Website: http://www.wpmf.org/
Denominational Affiliation:
Allegheny Mennonite Conference
Pastoral Leaders at West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Diane Stitt | 1983-1984 |
| David Greiser | 1984-1993 |
| Elizabeth "Libby" Caes | 1992-1998 |
| J. Fred Kauffman | 1994-2005 |
| Lorie Christine Hershey | 2007-present |
Membership at West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1985 | 0 |
| 1995 | 99 |
| 2005 | 62 |
| 2015 | 91 |
| 2020 | 91 |
Map
Map:West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | November 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2021. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=West_Philadelphia_Mennonite_Fellowship_(Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=177315.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (November 2021). West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=West_Philadelphia_Mennonite_Fellowship_(Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=177315.
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