News and Notes

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The Historical Committee of the Mennonite Church met at Bethel College, March 21-23. This meeting was part of the "All Boards" gathering of MC, GC and CMC representatives. Jim Juhnke and John D. Roth were featured in a public debate on what it means to be MC and GC. Top, L-R: John Thiesen, lawrence Klippenstein, Marcus Miller, Carolyn Wenger, John E. Sharp, Lee Roy Berry, Nate Yoder, Peggy Goertzen (guest), Arlin Lapp, Kimberly Schmidt and Susan Fisher Miller.

Theron Schlabach, MEA editor, delivers the keynote address to a full house at the One People: Many Stories: Charting the Next Generation of Mennonie Historical Writing in the U.S. and Canada conference. The gathering celebrated the completion of two major projects: the Mennonite Experience in America (MEA) series (four volumes), and Mennonites in Canada (three volumes). The event was hosted by the Columbia Bible college, Abbotsford, B.C., May 7-9. Ted Regeher, author of Mennonites in Canada, 1939-1970, was also a keynote speaker.

James Urry of New Zealand and J. Denny Weaver, Bluffton College, both speakers at the conference, confer. Perry Bush, an organizer of the event said, "Now that these two history-writing projects are completed, it's time to look ahead to see where the younger genration of historians might be going." The goal of the conference was to help erase the national divisions created by the U.S./Canadian border, and move toward a more unified Mennonite historiography.

Congregation Commissions Author--Mountville Mennonite Church, Mountville, Pennsylvania, has commissioned Dennis W. Kauffman of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to write a history of the congregation. Persons with information and photographs may contact him at 721 Dustin Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601. Phone: (717) 285-3053. [From The Mirror, Volume XXX, Number 1, February 1998]


Historical Center Planned at Fairmount--Recently three Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, groups---Fairmount Homes, the Home Messenger Library, and the Swiss Pioneer Preservation Associates---laid plans for joint purchase for historical purposes of a tract of land adjoining Fairmount Homes' newly expanded facilities in West Earl Township. Operated by members of the Weaverland Conference Mennonite Church, Fairmount Homes provides Christian, quality health care for older adults of the Ephrata-New Holland area and surrounding communities and also serves as a community gathering place.
Future development of this property will include construction of new facilities to house the Home Messenger Library, which contains approximately twelve thousand volumes and a limited amount of archival material. Its present headquarters in Ephrata serves primarily the Weaverland Conference Mennonite Church constituency. This new site is also the proposed future location of the Muddy Creek Farm Library, currently a privately owned, Old Order Mennonite historical library and archives in the Denver area.

In addition, the Martindale-based Swiss Pioneer Preservation Associates plan to reconstruct on this site the Peter Martin log cabin, an eighteenth-century structure that originally stood west of Blue Ball. Grandson of 1727 immigrant David Martin of Weaverland, Peter Martin lived on the western corner of his grandfather's patent and with his family (sixteen children) operated this farm until they migrated to Ontario in 1819.

According to officials responsible for the plans, reconstruction of the cabin will provide a meaningful educational experience for future visitors to see this pioneer Martin homestead. Some artifacts found on site and a number of family heirlooms from previous owners of the house will add to the authenticity of the interpretation. [From The Mirror, Volume XXX, Number 1, February 1998]

The Juniata District Mennonite Historical Society--The twentieth annual meeting of the Juniata District Mennonite Historical Society will convene July 11, 9:00 am., at Lauver Mennonite meetinghouse near Richfield in Juniata County. The meeting will highlight the centennial of revival meetings in the area, and the first documented baptism of persons of color in the Mennonite Church, After a devotional meditation by John W. Gehman, Noah L. Zimmerman will give an overview of the Juniata Mennonite settlement form 1774 to 1890. David N. Thomas, the keynote speaker, is scheduled to discuss the Sunday school and revival movement within the Mennonite Church. Marie Gingrich, David Graybill, and the Carter family will trace the effects of Sunday school and revival meetings in the local area.

The twenty-second annual historical and inspirational outdoor service at the 1855 Alleghany Mennonite meetinghouse is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Sunday evening, July 19. Irvin L. Martin will speak on "An Adopted Heritage," and the Fox family will provide special music. Earl Fox will lead congregational singing, and Tom Horst, devotions. In case of rain the service will be held inside the meetinghouse.

Interested attendees are welcome but should provide their own lawn chairs and Church and Sunday School Hymnal. This historic Berks County meetinghouse stands one mile east of Alleghenyville along Horning Road, which turns right off Pa. Route 568 as one travels eastward. This meeting is sponsored by the Alleghany Mennonite Historical Association, recently formed to give leadership to preservation and educational activities related to the meetinghouse and cemetery. Persons interested in association membership may contact Grace I. Musser, 90 Reinholds Road, Reinholds, Pa. 17569. Phone (717) 336-6344.

Herr House Heritage Day, a festival of demonstrations of farm life activities from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries, will occur on Saturday, August 1, from 9:00 am to 4:00 p.m. This year's event will include plowing with oxen, hay making, threshing, hearth cooking, meat smoking, home textile manufacturing, paper making, wool spinning, and more. Pennsylvania German delicacies such as smoked sausage, roasted sweet corn, ice cream, baked goods, homemade root beer, and rhubarb punch will also be available. Admission is $5.00 per adult; $1.00, children, aged seven to twelve; and free to Hans Herr Foundation members and children under seven. Parking is ample and free as well.[From The Mirror, Volume XXX, Number 3, June 1998]