The Lake Charles Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church), now extinct, began in 1898, when the first settlers moved down to Lake Charles, Louisiana, from the northern states. A few families came from Austell, Georgia, in 1905. The largest membership was about 40. The bishops who served this congregation were Andrew Shenk, J. M. Kreider, J. N. Durr, and E. S. Hallman. The ministers were Jonas Nice, Clarence Bontrager, and John E. Wenger. In 1954 the E. G. Leidig family was the only member family which remained in the community.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 269. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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