214 / Development of Church Life in the Older Congregations

Ohio Conference. In 1944 John A. Kennel announced his desire to affiliate with the nearby Lancaster Mennonite Conference. Not all the members were in favor of this move and a number petitioned the Ohio Conference officials to remain with this conference.

Under the leadership of Bishop Kennel's brother, Isaac G. Kennel, they continued their Ohio Conference affiliation. In 1945 the Millwood congregation united with the Lancaster Mennonite Conference. At the same time the Maple Grove Church became more closely associated with the Ohio Conference than previously.

The Christian day school movement in the Mennonite Church gained a following in these congregations. In 1941 the West Fallowfield Mennonite School was founded at Atglen, Pennsylvania. The school serves chiefly pupils of the Maple Grove congregation. Grades one to eight are offered and the enrollment in 1966 was seventy-eight The controlling body is the West Fallowfield Mennonite School Board of which Willis Umble is president. Evelyn Good is principal.

A strange item in the history of the Maple Grove Church has been that of four efforts to destroy the church building by fire. In October 1922, in August 1940, and in May 1952 mysterious attempts were made to burn down the frame edifice of the congregation. The 1922 burning called for closing the church for six weeks to allow for restoration, and again in 1940 it took six weeks to repair the damage. The loss of the 1952 burning was estimated at $2,000. Evidence of arson was discovered in kerosene cans and kerosenesoaked objects found within the church in the first two burnings. For the third burning the arsonist used gasoline-soaked newspapers and hymnals that were placed at certain places throughout the budding and ignited. A trail of gasoline on the rug in the center aisle was lit and though the fire followed the gasoline trail, it did not burn the rug completely.

The latest and most serious burning occurred in December 1967. The damage from this attempt was the most extensive of the four, due in large part to the fact that the congregation had completed a $48,000 renovation project in 1966. This time the basement was completely destroyed and much of the main auditorium damaged.

The persons responsible for starting the blazes have never been discovered or apprehended and the reason for the burnings is unknown. In the January 1968 Maple Breezes, a monthly news