Cocolamus Mennonite Church (McAlisterville, Pennsylvania, USA)
The Schaefferstown Mennonite Church, a Hope Mennonite Fellowship (HMF) congregation at Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania, USA had filled its building in the late 1980s. The congregation purchased a house in Port Royal, Pennsylvania and began holding Sunday services there in 1991 with Leon Horning serving as deacon. In August 1992, Stephen Miller was ordained as the first resident minister and served until he resigned in July 1995 to return to the Baptist church. Norman Bange served as interim pastor until December 1996 when Harlan Martin was ordained as minister. In April 2000, Joel Landis was ordained deacon.
In 2002, the Port Royal congregation purchased a church house from the Bunkertown Church of the Brethren near Cocolamus and changed their congregational name to Cocolamus Mennonite Church. J. Elvin Horst served as bishop at Port Royal and Cocolamus until Bernell Zimmerman was ordained bishop in 2005. They shared bishop responsibilities at Cocolamus for several years.
In 2008, Deacon Joel Landis was ordained minister, and James Shirk was ordained deacon the following year to replace Landis as deacon. When the Cocolamus congregation filled to capacity, James Shirk transferred to the newly formed HMF congregation at Troxelville; Gerald High was then ordained deacon in 2013 for Cocolamus. In February 2016, David Miller was ordained as minister for the Cocolamus congregation.
In 2016 the Cocolamus congregation participated in regular services in three different prisons and two retirement villages. The Cocolamus and Troxelville HMF congregations joined efforts in conducting a youth chorus that provided musical programs in various retirement homes, prisons, and a shopping mall.
The Cocolamus Christian School began in September 2001 in the former Mountain View schoolhouse in Evendale, Pennsylvania. Since September 2002 it has offered grades one through nine in the upstairs of the Cocolamus Mennonite Church. In January 2016, Cocolamus had 100 members.
Bibliography
Burkholder, Lester M., compiler. History of Hope Mennonite Fellowship 1981-2015 Myerstown, Pa.: Little Mountain Printing, 2016.
Additional Information
Address: 21 Bunkertown Road, McAllisterville, PA 17049
Phone: (717) 463-3154
Website
Denominational Affiliations: Hope Mennonite Fellowship
Cocolamus Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| J. Elvin Horst (Bishop) | 1991-2007 |
| Leon Horning (Deacon) | 1991-2000 |
| Stephen Miller (Minister) | 1992-1995 |
| Harlan Martin (Minister | 1996-present |
| Joel Landis (Deacon) (Minister) |
2000-2008 2008-present |
| Bernell Zimmerman (Bishop) | 2005-present |
| James Shirk (Deacon) | 2009-2013 |
| Gerald High (Deacon) | 2013-present |
| David Miller (Minister) | 2016-present |
Cocolamus Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 100 |
Map
Map:Cocolamus Mennonite Church (McAlisterville, Pennsylvania, USA)
| Author(s) | Lester M Burkholder |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2016 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Burkholder, Lester M. "Cocolamus Mennonite Church (McAlisterville, Pennsylvania, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2016. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Cocolamus_Mennonite_Church_(McAlisterville,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=134226.
APA style
Burkholder, Lester M. (June 2016). Cocolamus Mennonite Church (McAlisterville, Pennsylvania, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Cocolamus_Mennonite_Church_(McAlisterville,_Pennsylvania,_USA)&oldid=134226.
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