Transitions, Leaders, and Changing Churches (1865-1900) / 147

persisted for some years. From 1870 to 1877 it reached such a height of feeling that no communion services were held in these congregations. Eventually under the leadership of Bishop John P. Mast the congregations divided into the "house Amish" (who continued to worship in homes) and the "church Amish" (who began to worship in meetinghouses). Bishop john P. Mast was leader of the "church Amish." It was this group which continued fellowship with the Ohio churches.

In 1882 both the Conestoga and Millwood congregations built meetinghouses and began separate congregational life, remaining in fellowship with sister congregations in Wayne, Holmes, Champaign, Logan, and Fulton counties of Ohio.

The introduction of other changes took place later in these congregations than in Ohio but in 1897 the Conestoga Church had evening meetings; in 1900 Sunday school was introduced and in 1907 the young people's Bible meetings were begun. The first planned Bible conference was in 1913; the women's sewing circle came in 1917, but not till 1924 were evangelistic meetings held.20

The Millwood congregation began Sunday school in 1898, and the first Bible conference was held in 1914 with Eli B. Stoltzfus of Portage County, Ohio, and J. S. Gerig of Wayne County, Ohio, as speakers. In 1909 this congregation, as a result of a Sunday school mission outpost, built another meetinghouse, Maple Grove, near Atglen, Pennsylvania. The same congregation worshiped on alternate Sundays at these two meetinghouses for many years.

John P. Mast (18268) and Gideon Stoltzfus (I835-1913)

In the transitions of these eastern Pennsylvania congregations the role of two leaders stands out. One leader was John P. Mast and the other was his successor Gideon Stoltzfus. During the ministry of these two bishops, major transitions were made. John P. Mast was bishop of both Conestoga and Millwood congregations when the final break was made with the Old Order in 1877. When he died eleven years later, Gideon Stoltzfus had been ordained as his successor only four weeks previously.

The rate of transition was somewhat slower than that of the corresponding changes in the Ohio congregations. Several factors may account for this. One was the presence of large Old Order Amish congregations who were not in a mood to change and who in fact resisted change when they saw it threatening them. Another