Reflections: A Publication of the Missionary Church Historical Society

10/07/2019

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the merger this week.

04/03/2019

Rev. Dr. Albert J. Beutler (Feb. 20, 1929 ~ Dec. 23, 2018)

"Rev. Beutler attended Bethel College with the inaugural freshman class and graduated in 1951 with a degree in Biblical Literature and Psychology. Immediately following graduation, he became dean of men and dean of students, and later the school’s first men’s basketball coach in 1958. In 1966, he became Bethel’s first Alumnus of the Year after leaving Bethel to become dean of student services and Indiana University in South Bend, a role he held until 1974. He would later return to Bethel to serve as the third president of Bethel from 1974-1982."

https://www.palmerfuneralhomes.com/notices/RevDrAlbert-Beutler

Obituary for Rev. Dr. Albert J. Beutler | The Rev. Dr. Albert J. Beutler, Ph.D., residing in South Bend, IN, passed away at 10:45 p.m. Sunday, December 23, 2018 at the age of 89 years old.  He was born February 20, 1929 in Osceola, IN, a son of the late Jacob R. and Florence M. (Enders) Beutler and...

04/03/2019

LeRoy S. Troyer (Nov. 23, 1937 ~ Dec. 2, 2018)

"Mr. Troyer was extremely passionate about his family and loved them all dearly. He generously dedicated time serving on many organizational boards such as Bethel College, Fourth Freedom Forum, The Fuller Center for Housing, Habitat for Humanity of St. Joseph County, MEDA, and Nazareth Village, to name a few."

https://www.palmerfuneralhomes.com/notices/LeRoy-Troyer

Obituary for LeRoy S. Troyer | LeRoy S. Troyer, 81, died at 7:19 PM on Sunday, December 2, 2018 at his home in South Bend. He was surrounded by 13 family members offering memories, love, prayers, and song. Born November 23, 1937, in Middlebury, IN of an...

21/03/2018

Dr. Don Conrad, 1917-2017

"Don was the first graduate of Bethel College taking all of his credits at the school. He graduated in 1950 Cum Laude, completing his Bachelor's degree in only three years."

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/southbendtribune/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=185601456

Read the Obituary and view the Guest Book, leave condolences or send flowers. | Donald L. Conrad Aug. 15, 1927 - May 22, 2017 ELKHART - Donald L. Conrad, age 89, of Elkhart, passed away on May 22, 2017, at 6:00 AM at Hubbard Hill Estates Retirement Community. He was born the

21/03/2018

Rev. Marvin Engbrecht, 1922-2018

"After the family farm was sold in a public auction, Marvin moved into full time ministry, pastoring the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church in Dolton, South Dakota from 1945-1951. Recognizing a need for further education, Marvin moved his family to Indiana, where he enrolled at Bethel College. From 1951-1955 as the father of four young children, he was a full-time student, worked the afternoon shift at Ball Band in Mishawaka, pastored the Wayside Chapel United Missionary Church, and was president of Student Council in his senior year."

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/southbendtribune/obituary.aspx?n=marvin-engbrecht&pid=188368837&fhid=8874

Read the Obituary and view the Guest Book, leave condolences or send flowers. | Rev. Marvin Engbrecht Nov. 20, 1922 - March 4, 2018 NAPPANEE - Marvin Edward Engbrecht departed this world on March 4, 2018. Born on November 20, 1922 near Dolton, South Dakota to David H. and

11/10/2017

Some reflections on the Mennonite peace witness and its connection to the Mennonite Brethren in Christ.

David C. Cramer is teaching pastor at Keller Park Church, South Bend, Ind., and adjunct instructor at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Ind. His forthcoming book on Christian nonviolence will be published by Baker Academic. This piece was originally published in the July issue of The…

29/09/2017

A number of Mennonite periodicals are now digitized and available through AMBS's library.

http://libraryguides.ambs.edu/digital_mennonite_periodicals

Information and links to digitized Mennonite periodicals

29/08/2017

Keller Park Church in South Bend is celebrating its year of Jubilee: 1968-2017/18. For their celebration, they are collecting stories that people have from their time at KPC over the past 50 years. Did you attend KPC? Minister there? Partner with them in ministry? Visit the Christian Community Center in the 1960s and 1970s? Attend Agape Missionary Church in the 1970s, 80s, or 90s? Send your story (or pictures!) to [email protected].

In 1968 Redeemer Missionary Church bought a corner store in the Keller Park neighborhood and converted it into the Christian Community Center.

The Christian Community Center eventually became Agape Missionary Church and later simply Keller Park Church.

Starting this Sunday (9/3) we begin celebrating our church's "year of jubilee," the 49th-50th year of the church (Lev. 25:8-12).

Stay tuned for updates on teaching and events as we "proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" at KPC (Isa. 61:2; Luke 4:19)!

24/08/2017

James Lee Ditmer
July 27, 1932 - August 21, 2017
http://obituaries.goshennews.com/story/james-ditmer-1932-2017-967017751

Life Story and Obituary for James Ditmer - 1932-07-27 - 2017-08-21. Services by Rieth-Rohrer-Ehret Funeral Home. James

31/07/2017

Article on the Holiness Movement.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Holiness_Movement

There have been a few ministers in other Mennonite bodies such as the Mennonite Church (MC) who more or less adopted the Wesleyan doctrine of holiness, and in some cases minor secessions have resulted; as in Harvey County, Kansas, in the early 20th century, when J. M. R. Weaver and others withdrew f...

31/07/2017

Article on the United Missionary Society.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=United_Missionary_Society

The United Missionary Society was organized in 1921 by action of the General Conference of the United Missionary Church (UMC) of 1920. It is composed of representatives of all the annual conferences of the UMC of the United States and Canada. Jasper A. Huffman was the first president of the United M...

31/07/2017

Article on Brown City Michigan Church.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Brown_City_Missionary_Church_(Brown_City,_Michigan,_USA)

The Brown City Missionary Church (formerly United Missionary) was the first church to be built in the Michigan Conference. It was dedicated 22 November 1885, Bernhard Kreutziger being the first pastor. Destroyed by fire in 1894, a new site was procured and a brick church was built the following year...

31/07/2017

Article on the Michigan Conference of the MC.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Michigan_Conference_of_the_Missionary_Church

31/07/2017

Article on the Ontario Mennonite Brethren in Christ.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ontario_Mennonite_Brethren_in_Christ

Ontario Mennonite Brethren in Christ (after 1948 called United Missionary Church, still later Evangelical Missionary Church). One of the most important sections of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ has been the Ontario Conference, which was in effect in the beginning a separate movement though closel...

31/07/2017

Article on Anthony Ebenezer, early leader and missionary in the MBiC.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Anthony,_Ebenezer_(1865-1913)

Anthony Ebenezer, the son of Francis and Isabelle (Fackman), was born on 27 November 1865 near the village of Kilsyth, Grey County, Ontario. He grew up on the farm and attended public school. On 9 October 1889 he married Harriet Alma French, and together they had four children. He was converted in 1...

31/07/2017

Article on Peter Cober, first pastor at Brown City.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Cober,_Peter_(1853-1941)

Peter Cober was the son of Nicholas and Nancy (Holm) Cober. He was born on 7 May 1853 in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario. On 28 September 1875 he married Martha Steinacher, and together they had eight children, two of whom died in infancy.

31/07/2017

Article on Jacob Shantz, early leader in the Mennonite Brethren in Christ.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Shantz,_Jacob_Yost_(1822-1909)

31/07/2017

Article on J.B. Detwiler, leader in the Mennonite Brethren in Christ.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Detwiler,_Jacob_B._(1844-1938)

Jacob Bechtel “J. B.” Detwiler (Detweiler) was a pastor of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ (MBiC) Church, church magazine editor, and a presiding elder for the Canada Northwest Conference of the MBiC in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

31/07/2017

Article on Henry Hallman, minister and editor in the United Missionary Church.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hallman,_Henry_S._(1859-1932)

Henry S. "H. S." Hallman (5 August 1859-13 October 1932) was a United Missionary Church (now Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada) minister and editor. H. S. Hallman was born near Kitchener, Ontario. On 18 February 1881, he married Maria Rosenberger, and to their union nine children were born. Co...

31/07/2017

Article on Charles Brunner, leader in the Mennonite Brethren in Christ.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Brunner,_Charles_H._(1864-1948)

Charles H. Brunner was an outstanding leader of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church in eastern Pennsylvania. He was the son of Joel S. and Rebecca (Gehman) Brunner, born 2 January 1864 at Zionsville, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. He married Sarah C. Musselman 29 September 1888, to whom were born…

31/07/2017

Article on Everek Storms, long-time editor and historian in the Missionary Church.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Storms,_Everek_Richard_(1914-1983)

Everek Richard Storms was a school principal, denominational magazine editor and church historian of the Missionary Church. Born in the Armenian city of Everek, Turkey, on 19 October 1914 to Dorwin Jonathan Storms (7 June 1883-19 November 1948) and Anna (Nancy) Good Storms (9 April 1880-22 December…

31/07/2017

Article on the Gospel Banner.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Gospel_Banner_(Periodical)

Gospel Banner was the organ of the United Missionary Church, which was known as the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church until 1947. The Gospel Banner was founded in July 1878 and was published in Goshen, Indiana, until 1885, when it was moved to Kitchener, Ontario. From 1909 to its closing issue on…

31/07/2017

Article on the Bethel Publishing Company.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Bethel_Publishing_Company_(Elkhart,_Indiana,_USA)

The Bethel Publishing Company, located in Elkhart, Indiana, dated back to 1903, when the work of publishing books and the mail-order sale of books and Bibles began in New Carlisle, Ohio, by J. A. Huffman, at that time pastor of the New Carlisle United Missionary (then Mennonite Brethren in Christ) C...

30/07/2017

An article on J. E. Ramseyer, one of the founders of the Missionary Church Association.

http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ramseyer,_Joseph_Eicher_(1869-1944)

Joseph's father died when the boy was only four years old, and he was reared in his grandfather's home near New Hamburg. The family moved to Zurich, Hay County, Ontario, and from there in 1890 to Elkton, Michigan, in the Huron Peninsula. While living at Zurich Joseph had a conversion experience in 1...

20/07/2017

http://www.bethelcollege.edu/rediscover

An Optimistic Holiness Perspective for Our Time

18/07/2017

Be sure to check out the Missionary Church Archives next time you're at Bethel. They're in the basement of Bowen Library. Some materials are also available online. http://www.bethelcollege.edu/library/special-collections/mcarchives/

About the Missionary Church archives at the Bowen Library.

18/07/2017

Reflections is indexed on Worldcat. http://www.worldcat.org/title/reflections-a-publication-of-the-missionary-church-historical-society/oclc/29353258

Get this from a library! Reflections : a publication of the Missionary Church Historical Society.. [Missionary Church Historical Society.;]

18/07/2017

Reforming Mennonites? I suspect some of our current pastors like the sound of that! http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Reforming_Mennonite_Society_(Ontario,_Canada_%26_Indiana,_USA)

The Reforming Mennonite Society with congregations in Ontario, Canada, Indiana and Michigan USA, existed under this name for less than one year, from 15 May 1874 to 23 March 1875. At that time it merged with the New Mennonite Church of Canada West to form the United Mennonites of Canada, Indiana and...

18/07/2017

An article on the Missionary Church. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Missionary_Church

Bethany Home and Bible Institute (the antecedent of the Fort Wayne Bible College) was established by the B. P. Lugibihls in 1895 in Bluffton, Ohio. J. E. Ramseyer, D. Y. Schultz, J. A. Sprunger, and others were engaged to assist in the Bible Institute at Bluffton. J. E. Ramseyer was principal for th...

18/07/2017

An article on Solomon Eby, one of the founders of the Mennonite Brethren in Christ (a forerunner to the Missionary Church). http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Eby,_Solomon_(1834-1931)

Solomon was raised on the farm, and attended public school. In 1858 he was ordained to the ministry in the Mennonite Church, and served in that capacity for 14 years. According to his testimony, he was not converted until eleven years after his ordination (1869, Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada). Followi...