Raleigh Mennonite Church (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)
The Raleigh Mennonite Church, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, began in 1986. The Virginia Mennonite Conference and the Durham Mennonite Church launched the congregation. Worship services began in August 1986 at the local YWCA; the congregation formally organized in December 1986. Marilyn and John Bender initially served as copastors.
The Raleigh Mennonite Church has continued to rent space throughout its history. In the mid-1990s, it met at the Building Together/Neighbor Center on North Blount Street. In 2022 it began to meet on the third floor of the Church of the Good Shepherd, an Episcopalian congregation.
The congregation has been actively engaged in community and social issues throughout its history. Member Sriprakash Mayasandra began a ministry to international students at local universities in 1990. Then the congregation began the Jubilee Peace Center in 1994. One of its programs provided mediation services to help resolve neighborhood conflicts. Raleigh Mennonite sponsored a Service Adventure program beginning in 1997. The congregation also instituted the local Ten Thousand Villages store in 1995. This grew out of the annual holiday sales the church sponsored beginning in 1988 of what was then the MCC Self-Help Crafts of the World.
Raleigh Mennonite was part of the Virginia Mennonite Conference from its beginning. It joined the General Conference Mennonite Church in 1989. After the formation of Mennonite Church USA, it remained part of the Virginia Mennonite Conference.
In 2018 the congregation requested the transfer of its membership to the Central District Conference, which was more open to the congregation's desire for greater inclusion of LGBTQ relationships.
In 2023 the congregation remained part of the Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA.
Bibliography
"A new congregation in Raleigh, N.C." Gospel Herald 80, no. 8 (24 February 1987): 140.
Bender, Marilyn, et al. "It is not a social experiment." Gospel Herald 90, no. 36 (16 September 1997): 3-4.
Derthick, Steve, Dennis Boos, and Thomas Lehman. "Peer mediation training brings young people together to learn how to solve conflicts peacefully." Gospel Herald 89, no. 4 (23 January 1996): 10.
Martin, Stan North. "GAMEO article on Raleigh Mennonite Church." Personal emails (15 March 2023).
Shimron, Yonat. "Making the move from suburb to city." Gospel Herald 90, no. 36 (16 September 1997): 1-5.
Trotter, Jon. "Delegates release two congregations." Pathways 3, no. 4 (Spring 2018): 4.
Additional Information
Meeting Address: Church of the Good Shepherd, 121 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27603
Phone: 919-831-2969
Website: https://www.raleighmennonite.org/
Denominational Affiliations: Central District Conference
Pastoral Leaders at Raleigh Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Marilyn H. Bender | 1987-2004 |
| John P. Bender (1954-2016) | 1987-2004 |
| Alan Reberg (Community Development) | 1997-2019 |
| Joseph E. Bontrager (Interim) | 2004-2005 |
| Mauricio W. Chenlo (Peace Director & Youth) | 2002-2006 |
| Duane E. Beck | 2005-2016 |
| Melissa A. Florer-Bixler | 2016- |
| Rachel Taylor (Intergenerational) | 2018- |
Membership at Raleigh Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 19 |
| 1990 | 28 |
| 2000 | 73 |
| 2007 | 60 |
| 2020 | 57 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Raleigh Mennonite Church (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2023. Web. 27 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Raleigh_Mennonite_Church_(Raleigh,_North_Carolina,_USA)&oldid=175111.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (March 2023). Raleigh Mennonite Church (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 27 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Raleigh_Mennonite_Church_(Raleigh,_North_Carolina,_USA)&oldid=175111.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
Categoty:Virginia Mennonite Conference Congregations