Difference between revisions of "Bethesda Mennonite Church (Henderson, Nebraska, USA)"

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[[File:BethesdaMennoniteChurchHenderson1946.jpg|400px|thumbnail|''Bethesda Mennonite Church in Henderson, Nebraska in 1946.<br />
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Source: Mennonite Community Photograph Collection, The Congregation (HM4-134 Box 1 photo 011.2-1).<br />
 +
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/mennonitechurchusa-archives/5390711096/in/set-72157625807953784/ Mennonite Church USA Archives, Goshen, Indiana]''.]]
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[[File:Henderson, Nebraska Bethesda Mennonite from SW 1.JPG|400px|thumbnail|''Bethesda Mennonite Church, Henderson, Nebraska. <br />
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Source: [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henderson,_Nebraska_Bethesda_Mennonite_from_SW_1.JPG Wikipedia Commons]'']]
 
Bethesda Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA) of [[Henderson (Nebraska, USA)|Henderson]], York County, [[Nebraska (USA)|Nebraska]], is a member of the Central Plains Conference (formerly [[Northern District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church)|Northern District Conference]]), with a membership of 998 in 1953. Thirty-five families from the [[Molotschna Mennonite Settlement (Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Molotschna Colony]], South Russia, had arrived at the immigrant house erected by the [[Burlington Railroad|Burlington Railroad company]] one mile east of the present site of Henderson on 14 October 1874. By 1880 the group had grown to about 80 families. A large boulder was erected in 1937 on the original site to mark the place of the immigrant house. Names of the family heads arriving in 1874 were Mrs. Johann Abrahams, Gerhard Abrahams, Peter Abrahams, Heinrich C. Epp, Rev. Heinrich Epp, Johann Epp, Mrs. Johann Fast, Jacob Fast, Jacob Friesen, Johann Friesen, Cornelius Funk, Abraham Heinrichs, Jacob Janzen, Johann Janzen, Peter Lender, Absolom Martins, Benjamin Nachtigal, Jacob Nachtigal, Heinrich Pankratz, Sr., Heinrich Pankratz, Jr., Peter Pankratz, Heinrich Penner, Peter Penner, Gerhard Petker, Benjamin Ratzlaff, Franz Spenst, Mrs. Johann Sperling, Gerhard Toews, Johann Voth, Tobias Voth, Cornelius Wall, Jacob Wall, Peter Wall, Cornelius Warkentin, Peter Wolf.
 
Bethesda Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA) of [[Henderson (Nebraska, USA)|Henderson]], York County, [[Nebraska (USA)|Nebraska]], is a member of the Central Plains Conference (formerly [[Northern District Conference (General Conference Mennonite Church)|Northern District Conference]]), with a membership of 998 in 1953. Thirty-five families from the [[Molotschna Mennonite Settlement (Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Molotschna Colony]], South Russia, had arrived at the immigrant house erected by the [[Burlington Railroad|Burlington Railroad company]] one mile east of the present site of Henderson on 14 October 1874. By 1880 the group had grown to about 80 families. A large boulder was erected in 1937 on the original site to mark the place of the immigrant house. Names of the family heads arriving in 1874 were Mrs. Johann Abrahams, Gerhard Abrahams, Peter Abrahams, Heinrich C. Epp, Rev. Heinrich Epp, Johann Epp, Mrs. Johann Fast, Jacob Fast, Jacob Friesen, Johann Friesen, Cornelius Funk, Abraham Heinrichs, Jacob Janzen, Johann Janzen, Peter Lender, Absolom Martins, Benjamin Nachtigal, Jacob Nachtigal, Heinrich Pankratz, Sr., Heinrich Pankratz, Jr., Peter Pankratz, Heinrich Penner, Peter Penner, Gerhard Petker, Benjamin Ratzlaff, Franz Spenst, Mrs. Johann Sperling, Gerhard Toews, Johann Voth, Tobias Voth, Cornelius Wall, Jacob Wall, Peter Wall, Cornelius Warkentin, Peter Wolf.
  
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=== Bethesda Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders ===
 
=== Bethesda Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders ===
−
 
+
{| class="wikitable"
−
<table border="1">  <tr> <td>Name</td> <td> </td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>Benjamin Ratzlaff</td> <td align=”right”>1874</td> </tr>
+
!Minister
−
<tr> <td>Heinrich Epp</td> <td align=”right”>1874-1882</td> </tr>
+
!Years of Service
−
<tr> <td>[[Peters, Isaak (1826-1911)|Isaac Peters]]</td> <td align=”right”>1875-1882</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>Gerhard Epp</td> <td align=”right”>1875-1893</td> </tr>
+
|Benjamin Ratzlaff
−
<tr> <td>Cornelius Wall</td> <td align=”right”>1878-1882</td> </tr>
+
|1874
−
<tr> <td>Johann Kliewer</td> <td align=”right”>1878-1883</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>Peter J. Friesen</td> <td align=”right”>1883-1909</td> </tr>
+
|Heinrich Epp
−
<tr> <td>Cornelius Regier</td> <td align=”right”>1883-1885</td> </tr>
+
|1874-1882
−
<tr> <td>H. H. Epp</td> <td align=”right”>1883-1924</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>Jacob Friesen</td> <td align=”right”>1886-1892</td> </tr>
+
|[[Peters, Isaak (1826-1911)|Isaac Peters]]
−
<tr> <td>Peter H. Pankratz</td> <td align=”right”>1891-1933</td> </tr>
+
|1875-1882
−
<tr> <td>Dietrich Peters</td> <td align=”right”>1891-1904</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>F. G. Pankratz</td> <td align=”right”>1908-1910</td> </tr>
+
|Gerhard Epp
−
<tr> <td>H. D. Epp</td> <td align=”right”>1908-d. 1970</td> </tr>
+
|1875-1893
−
<tr> <td>Johann F. Epp</td> <td align=”right”>1916-1934</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>A. W. Friesen</td> <td align=”right”>1916-1947</td> </tr>
+
|Cornelius Wall
−
<tr> <td>Johann F. Epp</td> <td align=”right”>1947-1948</td> </tr>
+
|1878-1882
−
<tr> <td>Arnold Nickel</td> <td align=”right”>1948-1956</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>John Thiessen, Interim</td> <td align=”right”>1950/1963</td> </tr>
+
|Johann Kliewer
−
<tr> <td>Arthur Isaak</td> <td align=”right”>1952-1955</td> </tr>
+
|1878-1883
−
<tr> <td>John Gaeddert</td> <td align=”right”>1955-1965</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>J. R. Duerksen</td> <td align=”right”>1956-1958</td> </tr>
+
|Peter J. Friesen
−
<tr> <td>Bernard Ratzlaff</td> <td align=”right”>1959 Summer</td> </tr>
+
|1883-1909
−
<tr> <td>Paul Isaak</td> <td align=”right”>1959-1965</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>Walter H. Dyck</td> <td align=”right”>1965-1971</td> </tr>
+
|Cornelius Regier
−
<tr> <td>Abraham Krause</td> <td align=”right”>1965-1976</td> </tr>
+
|1883-1885
−
<tr> <td>Benjamin Sawatzky</td> <td align=”right”>1972-1979</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>Mahendra Kumer</td> <td align=”right”>1975 Summer</td> </tr>
+
|H. H. Epp
−
<tr> <td>Waldo Kaufman</td> <td align=”right”>1975-1978</td> </tr>
+
|1883-1924
−
<tr> <td>Russell L. Mast</td> <td align=”right”>1977-1979</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>Ward W. Shelly</td> <td align=”right”>1979-1982</td> </tr>
+
|Jacob Friesen
−
<tr> <td>Brian Epp</td> <td align=”right”>1979-1996</td> </tr>
+
|1886-1892
−
<tr> <td>Albert H. Epp</td> <td align=”right”>1981-1990</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>Jason Martin, Interim</td> <td align=”right”>1990-1992</td> </tr>
+
|Peter H. Pankratz
−
<tr> <td>Joel Schroeder</td> <td align=”right”>1991-2004</td> </tr>
+
|1891-1933
−
<tr> <td>John L. Yoder-Schrock</td> <td align=”right”>1992-1999</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>Marcia Yoder-Schrock</td> <td align=”right”>1992-1999</td> </tr>
+
|Dietrich Peters
−
<tr> <td>Weldon Martens</td> <td align=”right”>1995-</td> </tr>
+
|1891-1904
−
<tr> <td>George Kaufman</td> <td align=”right”>2000-2007</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>Rachel Friesen, Interim</td> <td align=”right”>2007-2008</td> </tr>
+
|F. G. Pankratz
−
<tr> <td>James Joel Voth</td> <td align=”right”>2008-present</td> </tr>
+
|1908-1910
−
</table>
+
|-
−
 
+
|H. D. Epp
 +
|1908-d. 1970
 +
|-
 +
|Johann F. Epp
 +
|1916-1934
 +
|-
 +
|A. W. Friesen
 +
|1916-1947
 +
|-
 +
|Johann F. Epp
 +
|1947-1948
 +
|-
 +
|Arnold Nickel
 +
|1948-1956
 +
|-
 +
|John Thiessen, Interim
 +
|1950/1963
 +
|-
 +
|Arthur Isaak
 +
|1952-1955
 +
|-
 +
|John Gaeddert
 +
|1955-1965
 +
|-
 +
|J. R. Duerksen
 +
|1956-1958
 +
|-
 +
|Bernard Ratzlaff
 +
|1959 Summer
 +
|-
 +
|Paul Isaak
 +
|1959-1965
 +
|-
 +
|Walter H. Dyck
 +
|1965-1971
 +
|-
 +
|Abraham Krause
 +
|1965-1976
 +
|-
 +
|Benjamin Sawatzky
 +
|1972-1979
 +
|-
 +
|Mahendra Kumer
 +
|1975 Summer
 +
|-
 +
|Waldo Kaufman
 +
|1975-1978
 +
|-
 +
|Russell L. Mast
 +
|1977-1979
 +
|-
 +
|Ward W. Shelly
 +
|1979-1982
 +
|-
 +
|Brian Epp
 +
|1979-1996
 +
|-
 +
|Albert H. Epp
 +
|1981-1990
 +
|-
 +
|Jason Martin, Interim
 +
|1990-1992
 +
|-
 +
|Joel Schroeder
 +
|1991-2004
 +
|-
 +
|John L. Yoder-Schrock
 +
|1992-1999
 +
|-
 +
|Marcia Yoder-Schrock
 +
|1992-1999
 +
|-
 +
|Weldon Martens
 +
|1995-
 +
|-
 +
|George Kaufman
 +
|2000-2007
 +
|-
 +
|Rachel Friesen, Interim
 +
|2007-2008
 +
|-
 +
|James Joel Voth
 +
|2008-present
 +
|}
 
=== Bethesda Mennonite Church Membership ===
 
=== Bethesda Mennonite Church Membership ===
−
 
+
{| class="wikitable"
−
<table border="1">  <tr> <td>Year</td> <td>Membership</td> </tr>
+
|-
−
<tr> <td>1953</td> <td> <div align="right">998</div> </td> </tr>
+
!Year
−
<tr> <td>1999</td> <td> <div align="right">1127</div> </td> </tr>
+
!Membership
−
<tr> <td>2005</td> <td> <div align="right">1152</div> </td> </tr>
+
|-
−
</table>
+
|1953
 +
| 998  
 +
|-
 +
|1999
 +
| 1127  
 +
|-
 +
|2005
 +
| 1152  
 +
|}
 
= Maps =
 
= Maps =
 
[[Map:Bethesda Mennonite Church (Henderson, Nebraska)|Map:Bethesda Mennonite Church (Henderson, Nebraska)]]
 
[[Map:Bethesda Mennonite Church (Henderson, Nebraska)|Map:Bethesda Mennonite Church (Henderson, Nebraska)]]
 
{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 1, pp. 316-317|date=August 2009|a1_last=Friesen|a1_first=Abraham W|a2_last=Steiner|a2_first=Sam }}
 
{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 1, pp. 316-317|date=August 2009|a1_last=Friesen|a1_first=Abraham W|a2_last=Steiner|a2_first=Sam }}
 +
[[Category:Churches]]
 +
[[Category:Central Plains Mennonite Conference Congregations]]
 +
[[Category:Mennonite Church USA Congregations]]
 +
[[Category:Northern District Conference Congregations]]
 +
[[Category:General Conference Mennonite Church Congregations]]
 +
[[Category:Nebraska Congregations]]
 +
[[Category:United States Congregations]]

Revision as of 07:16, 29 March 2014

Bethesda Mennonite Church in Henderson, Nebraska in 1946.
Source: Mennonite Community Photograph Collection, The Congregation (HM4-134 Box 1 photo 011.2-1).
Mennonite Church USA Archives, Goshen, Indiana.
Bethesda Mennonite Church, Henderson, Nebraska.
Source: Wikipedia Commons

Bethesda Mennonite Church (Mennonite Church USA) of Henderson, York County, Nebraska, is a member of the Central Plains Conference (formerly Northern District Conference), with a membership of 998 in 1953. Thirty-five families from the Molotschna Colony, South Russia, had arrived at the immigrant house erected by the Burlington Railroad company one mile east of the present site of Henderson on 14 October 1874. By 1880 the group had grown to about 80 families. A large boulder was erected in 1937 on the original site to mark the place of the immigrant house. Names of the family heads arriving in 1874 were Mrs. Johann Abrahams, Gerhard Abrahams, Peter Abrahams, Heinrich C. Epp, Rev. Heinrich Epp, Johann Epp, Mrs. Johann Fast, Jacob Fast, Jacob Friesen, Johann Friesen, Cornelius Funk, Abraham Heinrichs, Jacob Janzen, Johann Janzen, Peter Lender, Absolom Martins, Benjamin Nachtigal, Jacob Nachtigal, Heinrich Pankratz, Sr., Heinrich Pankratz, Jr., Peter Pankratz, Heinrich Penner, Peter Penner, Gerhard Petker, Benjamin Ratzlaff, Franz Spenst, Mrs. Johann Sperling, Gerhard Toews, Johann Voth, Tobias Voth, Cornelius Wall, Jacob Wall, Peter Wall, Cornelius Warkentin, Peter Wolf.

Two ministers, Heinrich Epp and Benjamin Ratzlaff, came with the first group. Ratzlaff died 30 October 1874. In the spring of 1875 two other ministers, Isaac Peters and Gerhard Epp, arrived. Isaac Peters had been elder of the Mennonite congregation at Pordenau, Molotschna settlement, Russia, from 1867 until 1874, when he emigrated to America with the smaller portion of the Pordenau congregation. Insisting upon stricter requirements for a separated life as an evidence of regeneration than the majority of the membership were willing to agree to, he withdrew in 1880 with a considerable number of members to form the Ebenezer Mennonite Church, which (with the Aaron Wall group at Mountain Lake, Minnesota) became one of the two founding congregations of the Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Conference.

In 1880 a church was built two miles (three km) northeast of the present site of Henderson. In 1906 this church was sold and dismantled, and a new one built in Henderson, which was enlarged in 1931, but was destroyed by fire before completion. Immediately the building of a new church was undertaken; it had a seating capacity of about 1,350. It was dedicated 6 March 1932. A new church building was dedicated in 1958 and an educational building was dedicated in 1964.

Originally feetwashing was practiced at the communion service, but was discontinued in 1939. The first reed organ was used about 1915; a pipe organ was installed in 1968. Discipline for transgression was still required by confession in the 1950s. The Sunday-school enrollment in 1953 was 1105. Young people's meetings, prayer meetings, mission societies, and choirs were organized in the church. German services were discontinued in the early 1940s. Ministers who have served the church are listed in Additional Information.

In 1893 the first Sunday school was held. In 1902 a parochial school was built, which functioned until 1943. In 1904 John H. Epp was ordained as the first missionary from this church to serve among the Indians in Oklahoma. In 1915 Peter J. Boehr was ordained as missionary to China. In 1949 a parsonage was built.

Bibliography

Bethesda Mennonite Church. "Bethesda Mennonite Church Chronology." August 2008. http://www.telcoweb.net/bethesda/history.html (15 August 2009)

Additional Information

Address: 930 16th Street, Henderson, Nebraska 68371-0130

Phone: 402-723-4562

Website: Bethesda Mennonite Church

Denominational Affiliations:

Central Plains Mennonite Conference

Mennonite Church USA

Bethesda Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders

Minister Years of Service
Benjamin Ratzlaff 1874
Heinrich Epp 1874-1882
Isaac Peters 1875-1882
Gerhard Epp 1875-1893
Cornelius Wall 1878-1882
Johann Kliewer 1878-1883
Peter J. Friesen 1883-1909
Cornelius Regier 1883-1885
H. H. Epp 1883-1924
Jacob Friesen 1886-1892
Peter H. Pankratz 1891-1933
Dietrich Peters 1891-1904
F. G. Pankratz 1908-1910
H. D. Epp 1908-d. 1970
Johann F. Epp 1916-1934
A. W. Friesen 1916-1947
Johann F. Epp 1947-1948
Arnold Nickel 1948-1956
John Thiessen, Interim 1950/1963
Arthur Isaak 1952-1955
John Gaeddert 1955-1965
J. R. Duerksen 1956-1958
Bernard Ratzlaff 1959 Summer
Paul Isaak 1959-1965
Walter H. Dyck 1965-1971
Abraham Krause 1965-1976
Benjamin Sawatzky 1972-1979
Mahendra Kumer 1975 Summer
Waldo Kaufman 1975-1978
Russell L. Mast 1977-1979
Ward W. Shelly 1979-1982
Brian Epp 1979-1996
Albert H. Epp 1981-1990
Jason Martin, Interim 1990-1992
Joel Schroeder 1991-2004
John L. Yoder-Schrock 1992-1999
Marcia Yoder-Schrock 1992-1999
Weldon Martens 1995-
George Kaufman 2000-2007
Rachel Friesen, Interim 2007-2008
James Joel Voth 2008-present

Bethesda Mennonite Church Membership

Year Membership
1953 998
1999 1127
2005 1152

Maps

Map:Bethesda Mennonite Church (Henderson, Nebraska)


Author(s) Abraham W Friesen
Sam Steiner
Date Published August 2009

Cite This Article

MLA style

Friesen, Abraham W and Sam Steiner. "Bethesda Mennonite Church (Henderson, Nebraska, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2009. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethesda_Mennonite_Church_(Henderson,_Nebraska,_USA)&oldid=116862.

APA style

Friesen, Abraham W and Sam Steiner. (August 2009). Bethesda Mennonite Church (Henderson, Nebraska, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethesda_Mennonite_Church_(Henderson,_Nebraska,_USA)&oldid=116862.



Hpbuttns.png

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, pp. 316-317. All rights reserved.


©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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