Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church
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This group, based in the United States, has three congregations with a total of 25 members, several mission outreach sites, and a gospel tract distribution center in El Salvador. It has related congregations in Belize, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, and the United States. [1]
Stories
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History
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Origins
In 1970, the Conservative Mennonite Fellowship requested help with mission work in Guatemala because they had more opportunities than they could handle. [2]
Beginning in 1971, Mennonite Messianic Mission, the service agency of the newly created Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church, agreed to mission work in Guatemala. This was the first foreign mission project for the agency. Forty-eight acres of land were acquired and in early 1972 several families from the United States moved to Guatemala.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
Civil Unrest in Guatemala (1980's)
Beginning in the late 1970's Guatemala began a period of conflict between between Guatemalan government forces and leftist rebels. This was a dangerous time for members of the church as they found themselves in the middle of the fighting. One family had to hide for cover as their home was caught in a shootout between the two forces. After a conservative Mennonite worker was shot to death and the missionaries received threats, many of the United States mission families decided to return to the United States for safety. These workers returned a short while later after determining that the needs of the church outweighed the dangers.
This time of fighting also challenged the Mennonite stance of separation of church and state. Mennonites refused to assist or participate with either side in the conflict. Guatemalans faced immense pressure to join the Guatemalan national forces or local watch groups known as the Civil Defense Patrol. One church member ended up in jail after he refused to participate in activities with the Guatemalan military. The issue of involvement in the Civil Defense Patrol brought much conversation and controversy to the church. Frank Martin petitioned the Minister of Defense to allow alternative service for church members instead of civil defense. After several more meetings and conversations, government officials determined that members would be allowed to serve in community betterment projects instead of the Civil Defense Patrol.
Contemporary Life
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Archives and Libraries
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Citations
- ↑ Donald B. Kraybill, Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010), 229.
- ↑ Rudolph, “Our Mission in Guatemala” (Secondary School Term Paper written about general Guatemalan history and Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite History involvement in the country) , 24
