Zion Mennonite Church (Elbing, Kansas, USA)
Zion Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite), located in Elbing, Butler County, Kansas, USA, a member of the Western District Conference, was organized on 10 June 1883, with 14 charter members who were a part of the immigrant group which came to Kansas from Heubuden and Ladekopp, West Prussia. On 15 June 1876, the first group departed from the Simonsdorf train station in West Prussia, crossed the ocean aboard “The Rhein,” and arrived in Mount Pleasant, Iowa on 3 July. The Prussian Mennonites intended to settle together but could not agree on a location. Peter Dyck, a minister of the Heubuden church, became tired of waiting and bought land six miles south of Peabody, Kansas. Eventually, the group settled in four locations: Beatrice, Nebraska; Whitewater, Kansas; Newton, Kansas; and south of Peabody. Over the next two decades a steady trickle of Prussian immigrants, especially with connections to Heubuden, continued to immigrate to these four locations.
The families who settled south of Peabody constituted the smallest portion of the Prussian immigrants. Originally worshipping with the Emmaus Mennonite Church near Whitewater, they soon found the distance to that church too great. Emmaus released the group to build their own church one-half mile east and one mile north of Elbing.
Soon after its founding in 1883, Zion became an early adopter of Sunday school as well as open communion with Christians of other denominations. By 1900 the membership of the church had grown to 66 but declined to 32 in 1921 following a serious rift over the so-called Sprunger movement in the community. Some who left Zion became charter members of the Elbing Missionary Church, now First Missionary Church in Newton, Kansas.
When the original building became too small, a new church was built in the town of Elbing and dedicated on 19 October 1924. In 1963 a larger building was constructed and in 1998 a library and elevator were attached. The cemetery is located along the banks of Henry Creek, one-half mile east and 1.5 miles north of Elbing.
The church has shown an active concern for home and foreign missions. It assisted in the founding of Berean Academy in Elbing in 1946. Numerous missionaries and pastors have come from the church and have served in a variety of locations including China, Congo, Burkina Faso, and among the Cheyenne people in Montana. Others in the church continue to support and assist in area ministries like Camp Mennoscah, Harvey County Homeless Shelter, Bethel College, Mennonite Central Committee and other Mennonite related institutions. Zion also enjoys an amicable relationship with nearby Grace Hill Mennonite Church, with many decades of shared ministry.
In 2020 the ethnic makeup of Zion did not reveal much variation, but there was much divergence on theological, social, and political perspectives… and yet a willingness to worship and live as a group bonded together by faith. There was a strong embrace of ongoing education with nearly all adults participating in Sunday school classes. Zion’s worship tended toward a traditional style, with an appreciation of good singing. While the church had numerous professionals, a majority continued to make their living in agriculture.
Bibliography
Gaeddert, Joyce Regier. "The Bernhard Regier Genealogy, 1669-1973." 1973. Unpublished manuscript.
Janzen, Louis A. "Forbid Him Not." 1978. Unpublished manuscript at Mennonite Library and Archives, Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas.
Additional Information
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 68, Elbing, KS 67041 USA
Location: 525 N. Main Street, Elbing, Kansas
Phone: 316-799-2071
Website: Zion Mennonite Church
Denominational Affiliations:
Western District Mennonite Conference (1883-present)
General Conference Mennonite Church (1883-2002)
Pastors at Zion Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Peter Dyck (1821-1885) | 1883-1885 |
| Cornelius H. Regier (1842-1928) | 1885-1922 |
| Jacob W. Regier (1849-1939) (Assistant) |
1892-1939 |
| John P. Andres (1857-1932) (Assistant) |
1917-1932 |
| Henry Jacob Dyck (1880-1970) | 1920-1951 |
| Cornelius J. Dyck (1921-2014) | 1952-1954 |
| Waldo W. Kaufman | 1956-1963 |
| Harold Graber | 1964-1965 |
| David Braun | 1976-1982 |
| Loris A. Habegger (1918-2009) | 1982-1988 |
| Craig Morton | 1988-1994 |
| Floyd Born | 1994-2004 |
| Bruce Bradshaw | 2005-2011 |
| Elena Nussbaum (Youth Pastor) |
2009-2012 |
| Ray Reimer (Co-pastor/Pastor) |
2011-present |
| Rosie Epp (Co-pastor) |
2013-2020 |
| Karen Andres (Associate) |
2020-present |
Membership at Zion Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1955 | 159 |
| 1960 | 154 |
| 1965 | 162 |
| 1970 | 174 |
| 1975 | 187 |
| 1980 | 161 |
| 1985 | 154 |
| 1990 | 156 |
| 1995 | 157 |
| 2000 | 142 |
| 2005 | 144 |
| 2010 | 152 |
| 2015 | 157 |
| 2020 | 144 |
- In 2016 Zion had an average worship attendance of 85.
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Cornelius J. Dyck. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, pp. 1031-1032. All rights reserved.
Zion Mennonite Church (General Conference Mennonite), located in Elbing, Butler County, Kansas, a member of the Western District Conference, was organized on 10 June 1883 with 14 charter members, who were a part of the immigrant group which came to Kansas in 1876 from Heubuden and Ladekopp, West Prussia. Originally worshiping with the Emmaus Mennonite Church near Whitewater, they soon found the distance to that church too great and built their own church one-half mile east and one mile north of Elbing. When this first building became too small, a new church was built in Elbing, and dedicated on 19 October 1924, which building is still in use.
The church has shown an active concern for home and foreign missions. It assisted in the founding of Berean Academy in Elbing in 1946. Missionaries and ministers coming from the church have been the following: Marie Dyck, later Mrs. Ernst Kuhlman, to China in 1906; Abraham H. Regier, ordained in 1905; Henry J. Dyck, ordained in 1905; Walter H. Dyck, ordained in 1936; Paul Kuhlman, ordained as missionary to China in 1936; Arnold J. Regier, ordained to the ministry in 1940.
Pastors who served the church since its founding have included the following: Peter Dyck 1883-1885, Cornelius H. Regier 1885-1921, Jacob W. Regier 1892-1919, John P. Andres 1907-1932, Henry J. Dyck 1921-1951, Cornelius J. Dyck 1951-1955, and Waldo W. Kaufman 1954- . The membership in 1957 was 152.
| Author(s) | Ray Reimer |
|---|---|
| Brett Klingenberg | |
| Date Published | March 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Reimer, Ray and Brett Klingenberg. "Zion Mennonite Church (Elbing, Kansas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2021. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Zion_Mennonite_Church_(Elbing,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=174891.
APA style
Reimer, Ray and Brett Klingenberg. (March 2021). Zion Mennonite Church (Elbing, Kansas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Zion_Mennonite_Church_(Elbing,_Kansas,_USA)&oldid=174891.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.