Centralia Defenseless Mennonite Church (Centralia, Missouri, USA)
Centralia Defenseless Mennonite Church (now extinct) was begun in this north-central Missouri area in 1903 ff., reportedly by the Joseph Rediger family. In 1906 J. K. Gerig of Grabill, Indiana, held revival meetings in the Centralia settlement. Soon after these meetings a church was organized, and a meetinghouse was constructed in 1907 about 6 miles (10 km.) southeast of Centralia, In 1911 there were 21 members; the highest membership was 55. Ministers serving in the church were Levi Zehr, J. C. Bertschi, and Sam Ehresman. Because of adverse economic conditions the Mennonites sold their farms and in 1918 their meetinghouse. Most of the families moved to Ohio and Indiana.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 543; v. 4, p. 1071. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.
©1996-2013 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
MLA style: Zimmerman, E. E and Melvin Gingerich. "Centralia Defenseless Mennonite Church (Centralia, Missouri, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 22 May 2013. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/C45925.html.
APA style: Zimmerman, E. E and Melvin Gingerich. (1959). Centralia Defenseless Mennonite Church (Centralia, Missouri, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 May 2013, from http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/C45925.html.
