6.

Evangelism and Bible Conferences

For most of the nineteenth century the Mennonite churches of Ohio could not be considered evangelistic. They shared the general Mennonite tradition of settling in communities and carving out an existence in the wilderness, grateful for freedom to worship and to transmit their faith and way of life to the next generation. But a changing and challenging scene confronted Mennonites as the nineteenth century drew toward its close. The newly established congregations of Ohio were often small and were struggling to maintain their growth against competition from other churches. Their very survival was at stake.

It was in this setting that evangelism of a new type began in the Ohio Mennonite and Amish churches. Though the Sunday school program was a partial response to the need for more vital church life, it was the evangelistic effort which performed the great service of reclaiming and building up congregations.

Labors of John S. Coffman and Others

Much credit for this belongs to John S. Coffman (1849-99) of the Virginia Mennonites and later of Elkhart, Indiana. Coffman first held evangelistic meetings in Michigan in 1881, and soon they spread throughout the brotherhood. As early as 1878 John S. Coffman had visited the Sherrick meetinghouse in Allen County, Ohio, where he stayed for a week visiting and attending meetings. Commented Coffman on the visit,

The church in this county is composed chiefly of young members, who with older ones seem particularly interested in vital piety and manifest a warm zeal to promote the interest of the church.'

In 1885 Coffman visited the brethren in Fairfield County. In the Herald of Truth of April 1885, Coffman tells of visits to Allen, Hancock, Wayne, Medina, Holmes, Fairfield, Perry, and Hocking

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