Walnut Hill Mennonite Church (Walnut Hill, Florida, USA)
The Walnut Hill Mennonite Church in Walnut Hill, Florida, USA was established in 1946. The congregation began when families from Gratiot County, Michigan noted how well new families were doing in Summerdale, Alabama and decided to colonize in the Walnut Hill area. Cheap land in the post-war era was an attraction. The early settlers harvested virgin pine timber and cleared the remaining stumps.
Initially, families traveled 60 miles to Summerdale for worship, but in late 1946 Minister Francis Peters and family settled in the area and organized the congregation. It first met in an agricultural building, then a school, then a home. Eventually, the Summerdale congregation closed, and many of its remaining members moved to Walnut Hill.
In view of the congregation's growth, it helped to establish the Southern Harbor Mennonite Church in Davisville, Florida.
The first permanent church building was erected in 1951 on Highway 97 about ten miles southeast of Atmore, Alabama. A new church was built in 1968 and was dedicated on 10 November 1968.
The congregation built the Walnut Hill Christian School in 1971, about a quarter miles west of the church. It has 48 pupils in the first year. An addition to the school was completed in 1975.
In 2020 the congregation was part of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The ministers were Mike Koehn and Brian Decker.
Bibliography
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Yearbook (1995-2020).
Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 214-217.
Additional Information
Address: 6840 Highway 97, Walnut Hill, Florida 32568
Phone: 850-327-4406
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Ordained Pastors at the Walnut Hill Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Francis Peters (1908-1986) | 1946-1986 |
| Harry H. Harms (1900-1991) | 1950?-1991 |
| Peter G. Hiebert (1896-1979) | 1951-1979 |
| Wilbert Peters | 1958-2015 |
| Verle Peters | 1967-2005 |
| Carlos Koehn | 1983-2018 |
| Galen Harms | 1993-2005 |
| Mike Koehn | 2005-present |
| Brian Decker | 2008-2012 2015-present |
Membership at Walnut Hill Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1946 | 19 |
| 1959 | 105 |
| 1995 | 201 |
| 2000 | 194 |
| 2010 | 116 |
| 2020 | 112 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Francis Peters. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 880. All rights reserved.
Walnut Hill Church of God in Christ Mennonite Church, located at Walnut Hill, Escambia County, Florida, was organized in 1946 by several young home-seekers. It has had a continual growth by others moving in and by additions through baptism. The membership in 1959 was 105. The meetinghouse, which seats 180, was built in 1950. The congregation has an active sewing circle. In the late 1950s Francis Peters and Harry Harms were the ministers, assisted by P. G. Hiebert and the recently ordained Wilbert Peters.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | December 2020 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Walnut Hill Mennonite Church (Walnut Hill, Florida, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2020. Web. 27 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Walnut_Hill_Mennonite_Church_(Walnut_Hill,_Florida,_USA)&oldid=169671.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (December 2020). Walnut Hill Mennonite Church (Walnut Hill, Florida, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 27 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Walnut_Hill_Mennonite_Church_(Walnut_Hill,_Florida,_USA)&oldid=169671.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.