Hilltop Community Church (Jackson, Minnesota, USA)
The Alpha Mennonite Church (first known as Jackson County Mennonite Church No. 1), 3.5 miles (5 km) northwest of Alpha, Jackson County, Minnesota, was organized at the time of the dedication of the meetinghouse in May 1898; a Sunday school had begun in a rural schoolhouse the previous year. The first families—among them Snyder, Shearer, Garber, and Hemer—came from Cullom, Illinois. S. G. Lapp of Roseland, Nebraska, was the bishop here for several years, but in the spring of 1916 was drowned in a railroad accident on the way to Alpha. In 1907 he ordained C. J. Garber minister. In 1919 Bishop J. M. Kreider ordained N. E. Landis as minister (later bishop) and C. M. Bute deacon. Active workers went from this base to 17 different fields including Puerto Rico. The sewing circle (Dorcas Band) was organized 2 April 1902. The rural membership lived almost entirely north of Alpha and nearby Jackson, while 20 percent of the membership lived in town.
The church was remodeled in 1919, after being struck by lightning. It was renovated in 1939 and 1941. Membership in 1953 was 78. The congregation relocated into the town of Jackson, building in a wooded area. At that time it adopted the name, Hilltop Community Church. The new building was dedicated 7 July 1985. The membership in 2000 was 31. The church closed in Spring 2004; Ed Wenger was the last pastor.
Bibliography
Yoder, Holly Blosser. The Same Spirit: History of Iowa-Nebraska Mennonites. Freeman, S.D.: Central Plains Mennonite Conference, 2003.
| Author(s) | C. J. Garber |
|---|---|
| Sam Steiner | |
| Date Published | March 2009 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Garber, C. J. and Sam Steiner. "Hilltop Community Church (Jackson, Minnesota, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2009. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hilltop_Community_Church_(Jackson,_Minnesota,_USA)&oldid=53763.
APA style
Garber, C. J. and Sam Steiner. (March 2009). Hilltop Community Church (Jackson, Minnesota, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hilltop_Community_Church_(Jackson,_Minnesota,_USA)&oldid=53763.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 66. All rights reserved.
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