July 2018 - Millbank ON
While in Stratford a couple of weeks ago, we found some Mennonite churches on our drive.
The Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church was organized in 1957 as a schism from the Riverdale Amish Mennonite Church, in which the bishop, Valentine Nafziger, took a more conservative position on nonconformity in attire and withdrew with a like-minded group. The membership in 1958 was 69, with Nafziger as bishop and Kenneth Brenneman as minister. The Bethel group built its own meetinghouse in 1958.
Continuing loss of members finally led the congregation to close its doors in 2014. The building was taken over by the Milverton Conservative Mennonite Fellowship, a congregation that emerged from an earlier internal division.
Milverton congregation took over the name Bethel Conservative Mennonite Church.
...schisms are common among the Mennonites and Amish. I love the arched sign for the cemetery.
ReplyDeletehey, Jackie ..had a church to share this week, glad 2 be here again. hope u r having a great weekend. see ya again soon, or what is the saying on the flip side, i think it is??!. take care. ( ;
ReplyDeleteDifferent to the ones I see in this country
ReplyDeleteWeird about such schisms.
ReplyDelete