The Indiana Conference of the United Missionary Church (later Missionary Church) had its origins in the "Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio Evangelical United Mennonite Conference." The date of its organization is not clear but it met in its "sixth annual conference" in Elkhart County, Indiana, in September 1880. After the Evangelical United Mennonites became the Mennonite Brethren in Christ in 1883, the first annual "Conference of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ of Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and the West" held its session in Miami County, Ohio, in March 1884. After Ohio became a separate conference in 1942 the Indiana Conference was confined to one state. The conference met annually during the last week of June on its campgrounds 7.5 miles (12 km) south of Elkhart. Its committees were executive, youth, budget, camp meetings, foreign missions, peace, and reading course examiners. In 1955 its 37 congregations had 2,507 members. The district superintendent was Kenneth Geiger and the secretary Gordon Bacon.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 29. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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