Bethany Church (Fresno, California, USA)
Creator: Henry J. Wiens (1885-1975)
Digitized by Hiebert Library. Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies.
Fresno Mennonite Brethren Church, later known as the Bethany Mennonite Brethren Church and still later Bethany Church, initially located at the corner of Orchard and Olive streets, Fresno, California, had its beginning in 1920 when several Mennonite Brethren families began to hold services. The church was organized in June 1942 with 34 members. After renting a hall for services a number of years, the congregation purchased a building site in 1946 and erected a spacious church building which was greatly enlarged in 1954. After the Mennonite Brethren Pacific District Conference opened a Bible Institute in Fresno in 1944, this congregation grew rapidly. The congregation provided a church home for students and has in turn also greatly benefited through the services rendered by instructors and students of the Institute. The 1955 membership was 402, with Dan Friesen as pastor. Others who had served as pastors or assistants by the 1950s were J. D. Hofer, Sam Wiens, S. W. Goossen, Henry G. Wiens, Arthur Willems, and A. P. Koop. The congregation has relocated in the north part of the city.
The 2007 membership is 412.
Bibliography
Archival Records
Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Fresno, CA: Record Group CB510.
Additional Information
Address: 9161 North Maple, Fresno, California
Phone: 559-434-2500
Website: Bethany Church
Denominational Affiliations:
United States Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
Map
Map:Bethany Church, Fresno, California
| Author(s) | John H Lohrenz |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1956 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Lohrenz, John H. "Bethany Church (Fresno, California, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethany_Church_(Fresno,_California,_USA)&oldid=177781.
APA style
Lohrenz, John H. (1956). Bethany Church (Fresno, California, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethany_Church_(Fresno,_California,_USA)&oldid=177781.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 395. All rights reserved.
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