Hershey Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), originally known as the Hess Church, located in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a member of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Christian Hess, Jr., and Abraham Hershey were the trustees who purchased the land for the first meetinghouse in 1814, which was used both as a school and as a church. The second church was built by 1837, and a new brick one on the present site in 1862, which was replaced by the fourth church in 1879, remodeled during the winter of 1947-1948. It was a part of the Pequea ministerial circuit almost to 1954. It then became a part of the Old Road-Meadville circuit, but gradually it became a separate congregation. Peter Eby was the first bishop when the congregation still worshiped in homes. In 1953 G. Parke Book was the bishop; Martin R. and Sanford E. Hershey the ministers; and Willis L. Hershey with his father Landis Hershey, deacons; the membership was 196. Meadville and the Intercourse Mission Sunday School, begun 50 years earlier, were outgrowths of this congregation.

Additional Information

Address: 401 Hershey Church Road, Kinzers, Pennsylvania

Phone: 717-768-3150

Website: Hershey Mennonite Church

Denominational Affiliations:

Lancaster Mennonite Conference

Mennonite Church USA

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 715. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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