Mountain Mennonite Church (Campden, ON)

Title: Mountain Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of Creation: 1864-1996

Physical description: 20 cm. of textual records

Administrative history: The church was loated 2 km (1 mi) east of Campden at the first intersection on the Fly Rd. The congregation dissolved in 1909. It had been affiliated with the Mennonite Conference of Ontario. Thus Mountain Mennonite was part of the Mennonite Church (MC) segment of the Mennonite "family." The language of worship was English; language transition from German occurred in the 1880s.

The congregation began services in 1840, and occupied a building the same year. The congregation originated through the outreach of Moyer Mennonite (Vineland) because of the latter church's large numbers. Mountain Mennonite was also known as Campden Mennonite.

Organizationally Mountain was part of Moyer (Vineland) Mennonite congregation as a second place of worship. For some years services alternated between the two sites. The church closed as members moved away, and the remainder attended Moyer. The building was sold in 1915. The cemetery remains.

Pastoral Leaders who served the Mountain Mennonite congregation included: Daniel Hoch (1831-1849); Jacob Gross (1833; Bishop 1834-1865); Abraham Moyer (1842-1871); Dilman Moyer (1842; Bishop, 1850-1873); Abram K. Hunsberger (1858-1889); Daniel Honsberger (1875-1914); John F. Rittenhouse (1889-1903); Samuel F. Coffman (1895; Bishop, 1903-closing).

Custodial history: Donations have come from individuals, primarily the S.F. Coffman family and Carson Moyer.

Created February 2001 by Sam Steiner

Scope and Content: There are three series: Formal records, Informal records and  Books

Notes:
An encyclopedia entry for this congregation may be found in GAMEO

Original archival description created February 2001 by Sam Steiner

File list:

Series 1: Formal records

1. Sunday school account book, 1870-1880
2. Sunday school register, 1879
3. Sunday school register, 1901
4. Cemetery reports, 1938-1950
5. Cemetery financial records, 
   1880s-1931
   1939-1959

Series 2: Informal records

Notes on history of church by Carson Moyer, 1940s

Series 3: Books

Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments (Oxford : University Press, 1871) - "This Bible belonged to the Mountain Church 1896" 
Sunday School Times scholars' quarterly -- fourth quarter, 1879 (Philadelphia : Sunday School Times, 1879) 2 copies
Der Kinder Kirche und andre Kinderschristen (Neu-York : Amerikanische Traktat-Gesellschaft, n.d.) - "M.S.S. [Mountain Sunday School] no. 74" 
Biblisches Fragebuch für Kinder (Philadelphia : American Sunday-School Union, 1870). "March 17 /72 presented to John Kratz by Samuel Moyer as a Sunday School teacher" 
Franz Hoffmann, Allgemeine Volks und Jugend-Schriften, no. 6 (Philadelphia : J. Kohler, 1864) - "M.S.S. no. 70" 
Franz Hoffmann, Allgemeine Volks und Jugend-Schriften, no. 31 (Philadelphia : J. Kohler, 1865) - "M.S.S. no. 71"
Franz Hoffmann, Allgemeine Volks und Jugend-Schriften, no. 36 (Philadelphia : J. Kohler, 1866) - "M.S.S. no. 68"
A collection of Psalms and hymns suited to the various occasions of public worship and private devotion compiled by a committee of Mennonites (Elkhart, Ind. : Mennonite Pub. Co., 188?) title page missing - "Mountain Church"

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