Woodland Bible Church (Warroad, Minnesota, USA)
The Woodland Mennonite Church had its origins in five families who experienced drought in Lostwood, North Dakota in 1934. Over several years the families moved to the Warroad, Minnesota area, eight miles from the Canadian border.
In 1937 a small plain meetinghouse was constructed and visiting ministers served from time to time. On 2 July 1939, the congregation dedicated the building, and the Northern District of the General Conference Mennonite Church ordained Arthur F. Ortmann as the minister. It formally joined the General Conference in 1944. The church became self-supporting by 1946. It constructed a larger facility in 1950.
Woodland Mennonite Church withdrew from the General Conference Mennonite Church in 1989. Its reasons for leaving included (1) a tendency of some in the General Conference to believe that the Bible could or does contain errors, (2) a lack of evangelistic thrust and spirit in the Northern District Conference, and (3) the acceptance of women as pastors in the Northern District Conference.
Woodland Mennonite changed its name to Woodland Bible Church and became an independent community church.
Bibliography
Krahn, C. I. "Announcement and program." The Mennonite 54, no. 22 (30 May 1939): 9.
Quiring, Jake G. "Woodland Mennonite Church" The Mennonite 56, no 5 (4 February 1941): 7-8.
Schmidt, Diena, ed. The Northern District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church 1891-1991. Freeman, S.D.: The Conference, 1991: 61-62.
"Woodland Bible Church." The Mennonite 104, no. 24 (26 December 1989): 587.
Additional Information
Address: 506 Dale Ave SW, Warroad, Minnesota
Phone: 218-386-2241
Website: https://www.facebook.com/woodlandbiblechurch/
Denominational Affiliations: Northern District Conference (until 1989)
General Conference Mennonite Church (until 1989)
Pastoral Leaders at Woodland Bible Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Visiting Ministers | 1937-1938 |
| Alfred F. Ortmann (1910-1990) | 1938-1959 |
| Henry W. Giesbrecht | 1960-1962 |
| Chryston Harms (1934-1993) | 1963-1972 |
| Paul M. Zoschke | 1973-1977 1986-1990s? |
| Ken Marr | 1978-1981 |
| Robert "Terry" Tyler (1931-1982) | 1982 |
| Stephen Tyler | 1983-1984 |
Woodland Bible Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1939 | 30 |
| 1950 | 64 |
| 1960 | 98 |
| 1970 | 74 |
| 1980 | 121 |
| 1989 | 121 |
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Arthur F. Ortmann. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 977. All rights reserved.
Woodland Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite), located in Warroad, Roseau County, Minnesota, a member of the Northern District, was organized on 3 March 1939, with 30 charter members, by families who had arrived a few years before. The meetinghouse was built in 1950, with a seating capacity of 150. In the late 1950s the members were mostly descendants of the 1874 ff. immigration from Russia. The pastor was Arthur F. Ortmann, who organized the church, and the membership was 86.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | August 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Woodland Bible Church (Warroad, Minnesota, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2023. Web. 26 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Woodland_Bible_Church_(Warroad,_Minnesota,_USA)&oldid=177525.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (August 2023). Woodland Bible Church (Warroad, Minnesota, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 26 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Woodland_Bible_Church_(Warroad,_Minnesota,_USA)&oldid=177525.
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