The Groffdale Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), located two miles (three km) northwest of New Holland, Pennsylvania, is a member of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. The first meetinghouse was built of logs in 1755 on Hans Groff's vast acreage. A stone addition was built in 1823. In 1909 the new brick church was built which was enlarged in 1936. The congregation cooperated in the Palo Alto Mission from the start, releasing one of its ministers, Lester M. Hoover, to serve there. In 1954 Mahlon Winner was the bishop in charge, with Eli G. Sauder, Arnos Sauder, and John S. Martin as ministers and Floyd Graybill as deacon. Though a large percentage were still farmers in the 1950s, the Old Order Mennonites were buying up most of the land around them. Until 1905 the Metzler and Groffdale congregations were served by the same ministers; after that a gradual separation took place. First they had separate deacons and gradually a separate ministry. In 1953 all except two ministers were still serving both congregations. The membership in 1953 was 348. In 2002 the membership was 194; the lead pastor was James R. Leaman.

Additional Information

Address:

168 North Groffdale Road
Leola, Pennsylvania 17540

Phone:

717-656-6388

Denominational Affiliations:

Lancaster Mennonite Conference

Mennonite Church USA

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 587. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

©1996-2008 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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