Mennonite Book Concern (Berne, Indiana, USA)
The Mennonite Book Concern, Berne, IN, had its beginning in 1882, when Joel Welty opened a bookstore, with his brother Dan Welty assisting him in the store. The two brothers secured S. F. Sprunger, then commonly known in Berne as "der Sam," to make the selection of books. Two years later Sprunger became a partner in the firm, and the store went under the name of Welty and Sprunger. In 1884, when the General Conference convened in Berne, the bookstore became a church institution and remained as such. Welty and Sprunger became the publishing agents for what later became known as the Mennonite Book Concern.
Revenue from this store was the major source of subsidy for General Conference periodicals and Sunday-school literature until 1929. Its manager also served as business manager for General Conference Mennonite publications until 1939. Managers following Welty were J. F. Lehman 1895-1929, Ferdinand J. Wiens 1930-1936, Fred von Guten 1937-1951, and Howard Culp 1951- .
Bibliography
Sprunger, Eva P. A History of the Mennonite Church in Adams County, Indiana. Berne, 1938: 205.
Krehbiel, H. P. The History of the General Conference Mennonite Church of North America I and II. St. Louis, 1898, and Newton, 1938.
| Author(s) | E. G. Steiner |
|---|---|
| Maynard Shelly | |
| Date Published | 1957 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, E. G. and Maynard Shelly. "Mennonite Book Concern (Berne, Indiana, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mennonite_Book_Concern_(Berne,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=89670.
APA style
Steiner, E. G. and Maynard Shelly. (1957). Mennonite Book Concern (Berne, Indiana, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mennonite_Book_Concern_(Berne,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=89670.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 594. All rights reserved.
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