15.

Development of Church Life

in the Older Congregations

As the historian studies the well-kept records of the Ohio and Eastern Mennonite congregations it is clear that each congregation has its own store of organizations, changing ministers, new fields of service and outreach. This chapter will attempt to select what is unique in the major and older regions of the conference and so give the reader a glimpse of the pathways that lead to the presenttime.

Conestoga, Minwood, and Maple Grove Churches of Eastern Pennsylvania

In these congregations a growth in membership and activities dates from the founding of Sundae schools (1900 at Conestoga, 1898 at Millwood, and 1915 at Maple Grove). Bible conferences also played their role, starting as early as 1910 at Maple Grove. It is noteworthy that these Bible conferences used speakers from Ohio such as E. B. Stoltzfus, E. L. Free, Jacob S. Gerig, C. Z. Yoder, J. B. Smith, and Edward B. Free.

As the Bible conference lost some of its appeal, winter Bible schools were started, the first in 1936 at Millwood and Maple Grove where the same congregation worshiped on alternate Sundays, Among the first teachers were S. G. Shetler, J. Irvin Lehman, and Elias Kulp. The Conestoga congregation began its school in 1941 with Noah G. Good as the first teacher. These schools have continued to the present time with the exception of the one at Conestoga that was discontinued during World War II but was reopened in 1948.

The congregations were, until 1953, considered as a single district, the ministers holding semiannual meetings. In 1944 and 1945 a separation took place that involved the Millwood Church and the Maple Grove Church. Both churches were under the bishop oversight of John A. Kennel and were nominal members of the

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