The Bethel Mennonite Church (Mountain Valley Mennonite Churches, formerly Mennonite Church) four miles (6.5 km) north of Cootes Store, Rockingham County, Virginia, was a member of the Virginia Mennonite Conference before withdrawing from the conference in 2002 over doctrinal concerns. It then became a member of the Mountain Valley Mennonite Churches, a group of churches unwilling to join the then new Mennonite Church USA.

About 1915 a Sunday school was started by two Baptist girls under a tree near this place. It was later moved to an old store building near by. The Mennonite Church was invited to take the work over and the store building was purchased in 1918 and used for services until around 1925 when it was torn down, moved to its present location, and enlarged. The membership was 110 in 1953 and the pastor was M. D. Emswiler. In 2011 the pastor was Stephen R. Estep; the average attendance was 65.

Bibliography

Additional Information

Address: 18425 Runions Creek Road, Broadway, Virginia 22815

Denominational Affiliations:

Virginia Mennonite Conference (ca. 1915-2002)

Mountain Valley Mennonite Churches (2002-present)

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 311. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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