Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church

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Congregations

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Membership

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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. 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.

Early mission work for the church began in the primitive highlands of Guatemala in an area known as La Victoria. The early missionaries faced much superstition, much of which could be attributed to the present Indian culture which emphasized the role of spirits and sorcery in daily life. Homes were built for missionary families which moved from the United States. In late 1972 the first natives joined the church as five Guatemalans were baptized. By 1977, the first congregational building was completed and named La Iglesia Menonita de La Victoria (La Victoria Mennonite Church).

In the 1970’s, the majority of Guatemalans were either Catholic or held indigenous beliefs. Early converts were attracted to the church due to the clarity and structure offered in Bible teaching programs. The missionaries instructed Guatemalans in the meaning and application of Bible verses and stories. One on one tutoring programs and personalized teaching were effective in the adaptation of Mennonite beliefs.

Contemporary Life

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Electronic Resources

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Archives and Libraries

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External Links

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Citations

  1. Donald B. Kraybill, Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010), 229.