The Herold Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA), located three miles (4.8 kilometers) east and five miles (8 kilometers) north of Cordell, Oklahoma, a member of the Western District Conference, was organized in 1899 in the home of Jacob Jantzen with the help of three elders, Christian Krehbiel, Peter Balzer, and Jacob Toews. At this time the church building (built about 1897) on the Jantzen farm was purchased from the Sichar congregation, and the Sichar congregation moved to another site. It was replaced in 1915 by the church building of 1955.

Michael Klaassen, ordained elder in 1901, served until 1918, when he moved to Canada with 28 members on account of military service. He was followed by Jacob Jantzen, who served 40 years as minister, including 18 years as elder. Between this resignation and 1955 the church has had four ministers: J. R. Duerksen (1940), C. B. Friesen (1943), Paul Dahlenburg (1946), and Richard Tschetter (1951). The church membership in 1955 was 231.

Additional Information

Address: Bessie, Oklahoma (From Junction of 183 & Corn Road, 3 miles East & 1.25 miles South)

Phone: 580-337-6616

Denominational Affiliations:

Western District Conference

Mennonite Church USA

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 711. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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