Ebenezer Mennonite Church (Bluffton, Ohio, USA)
The Ebenezer Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite), located two miles (three km) east of Bluffton, Ohio, was a member of the Middle District Conference (later Central District Conference). This congregation formed one of the two centers of the original Swiss community between Bluffton and Pandora. A meetinghouse was built near the site of the present building in 1846, enlarged in 1883, and again in 1928, 1964, 1979, and 2001.
After Pandora in 1904, and Bluffton in 1918 had organized separate congregations, Ebenezer and St. John remained united as one congregation under the ministry of William Gottschall, the last of the ministers to serve the united Swiss community.
In 1923 this union was dissolved, and William Gottshall continued as the first minister of the separate Ebenezer congregation. The 1953 membership was 507, with Howard T. Landes as pastor.
The division of St. John and Ebenezer also brought increased English-language usage. Previously, the combined congregation had one English Sunday morning service per month. This changed to alternating English and German on Sundays.
In February 1986, Ebenezer formally withdrew from the General Conference Mennonite Church and the Central District Conference. The church cited doctrinal and ethical differences, including sanctuary [refugees], abortion, and peace. This followed an earlier conflict with the Central District Conference dating to 1967. At that time, after discussions between the church and the executive board, the conference proposed to its delegate body that Ebenezer had withdrawn from the conference since it was no longer sending delegates. However, the conference delegates rejected this proposal.
The congregation has continued since 1986 as an independent Mennonite church.
Bibliography
"Ebenezer Cong. Bluffton, O." The Mennonite (26 July 1923): 2-3.
Rich, Elaine Sommers, ed. Walking Together in Faith: The Central District Conference, 1957-1990. Bluffton, Ohio: The Conference, 2003: 103-105, 227-240.
Weidner, Mark. "Ebenezer Church Withdraws from Conferences." The Mennonite, Central District Edition (22 April 1986): A-8.
Additional Information
Address: 8905 Columbus Grove-Bluffton Road, Bluffton, Ohio 45817
Phone: 419-358-8588
Website: https://www.ebenezermennonite.org/
Denominational Affiliations:
Pastoral Leaders at Ebenezer Mennonite Church and its predecessors
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| John Moser (1826-1908) | 1853-1903 |
| Christian Zimmerly (1841-1916) | 1876-1900 |
| Benjamin Diller (1845-1919) | 1881-1919 |
| Friedrich Zeller (1820-1903) | 1891-1903 |
| John B. Baer (1854-1939) | 1894-1909 |
| Christian Hege (1878-1971) | 1904-1909 |
| William S. Gottshall (1865-1941) | 1909-1924 |
| Elmer J. Neuenschwander (1882-1959) | 1924-1929 |
| Peter A. "P. A." Kliewer (1879-1959) | 1929-1941 |
| Arnold C. "A. C." Schultz (1904-1988) | 1941-1944 |
| John J. Esau (1900-1979)(Supply) | 1944-1945? |
| Howard T. Landes (1905-1994) | 1946-1954 |
| Vernon J. Sprunger (1904-1980)(Interim) | 1955 |
| Waldo J. "W. J." Flickinger (1909-2001) | 1955-1960 |
| Daniel "Dan" U. Dalke (1921-2014) | 1961-1978? |
| Donald "Don" L. Pahl (Assistant) | 1978?-1981? |
| Burton Reed | 1981-1985 |
| Mark Steiner (Associate) | 1986?-? |
| XXX | XXX |
| Dick Potter (Assistant) | 2004-present |
| Jim King (Senior) | 2008-2022 |
| David Glick (Student Ministries | 2015?-present |
| Nick Ringger (Senior) | 2021-present |
Membership at Ebenzezer Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1923 | 410 |
| 1930 | 439 |
| 1940 | 529 |
| 1950 | 532 |
| 1960 | 491 |
| 1970 | 437 |
| 1980 | 510 |
| 1986 | 510 |
| Author(s) | C. Henry Smith |
|---|---|
| Samuel J. Steiner | |
| Date Published | November 2022 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Smith, C. Henry and Samuel J. Steiner. "Ebenezer Mennonite Church (Bluffton, Ohio, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2022. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ebenezer_Mennonite_Church_(Bluffton,_Ohio,_USA)&oldid=174806.
APA style
Smith, C. Henry and Samuel J. Steiner. (November 2022). Ebenezer Mennonite Church (Bluffton, Ohio, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ebenezer_Mennonite_Church_(Bluffton,_Ohio,_USA)&oldid=174806.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 136. All rights reserved.
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