The Franconia Mennonite Conference, based in Souderton, PA, is a division of Mennonite Church USA and a member of Mennonite World Conference that has 42 congregations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Vermont. The conference also ministers with "Conference Related Organizations" (CROs) and "Partners in Mission" (PIMs). Souderton is a borough located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. ... Mennonite Church USA logo. ... The Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is a body that attempts to bring fellowship and communication to diverse Anabaptist bodies across the world. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 160 miles (255 km)  - Length 280 miles (455 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... Official language(s) None Capital Montpelier Largest city Burlington Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 9,620 sq mi (24,923 km²)  - Width 80 miles (130 km)  - Length 160 miles (260 km)  - % water 3. ...

Franconia Mennonite Conference welcomes new ministers at a November meeting.

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Ministries

Franconia Mennonite Conference is compromised of 42 congregations, 23 CROs, and 12 PIMs.

History

As the oldest Mennonite body in America, Franconia Conference is a three-century-old Mennonite “congregation of congregations” in southeastern Pennsylvania. Comprised of about fifty congregations with some 7,000 members, it dates the arrival of its first members at Germantown near Philadelphia in 1683, and the first baptisms a quarter-century later in 1708. The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist (Re-baptizers) denominations named after and influenced by the teachings and tradition of Menno Simons (1496-1561). ... A congregation is the group of members who make up a local Christian church or Jewish synagogue (or those who are present at a service thereat), as opposed to the building itself. ... Germantown was originally the Borough of Germantown, a town in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania and is today primarily a neighborhood in Philadelphia, about six miles northwest from the center of the city. ... Events June 6 - The Ashmolean Museum opens as the worlds first university museum. ... Baptism in early Christian art. ... // Events March 23 - James Francis Edward Stuart lands at the Firth of Forth July 1 - Tewoflos becomes Emperor of Ethiopia September 28 - Peter the Great defeats the Swedes at the Battle of Lesnaya Kandahar conquered by Mir Wais In Masuria one third of the population die during the plague J...

The caution which delayed the first baptisms is symbolic of the desire for authentic church order, characteristic of the Franconia tradition. The act of conferring is at the heart of the historic Mennonite concern to “give and receive counsel” in the fellowship or body of Christ’s followers. Thus, Mennonites have found the English term “conference”—used by Methodists since 1744—as the best equivalent for the German term Rath (counsel), originally used in this community of immigrants from Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Sixty miles to the west, Mennonite leaders centered in Lancaster County proceeded similarly, using the word Zusammenkunft (gathering). A fellow in its broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. ... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... // Events The third French and Indian War, known as King Georges War, breaks out at Port Royal, Nova Scotia The First Saudi State founded by Mohammed Ibn Saud Prague occupied by Prussian armies Ongoing events War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) Births January 10 - Thomas Mifflin, fifth President... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Lancaster County is a county located in the south-central portion of the state of Pennsylvania in the Susquehanna Valley. ...

Drawing on European conferences dating back to 1527, Mennonite bishops who had immigrated to present-day Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Berks Counties endorsed in 1725 a “brotherly agreement” originally drawn up in Holland in 1632 and affirmed by Swiss leaders in 1660. By 1735 the American bishops were conferring repeatedly over new issues in their American environment. Their central concern was how to preserve and keep vital the fundamental issues of non-violent witness to their Christian faith. This article is about the continent. ... Events January 5 - Felix Manz, co-founder of the Swiss Anabaptists, was drowned in the Limmat River in Zürich by the Zürich Reformed state church. ... Diocesan College, or Bishops as it is commonly known, is a private school situated in the leafy suburb of Rondebosch in Cape Town, South Africa, at the foot of Table Mountain. ... Bucks County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. ... Montgomery County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. ... Chester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... Berks County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania. ... Events February 8 - Catherine I became empress of Russia February 20 - The first reported case of white men scalping Native Americans takes place in New Hampshire colony. ... Holland is a region in the central-western part of the Netherlands. ... See also: 1632 (novel) Events February 22 - Galileos Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems is published July 23 - 300 colonists for New France depart Dieppe November 8 - Wladyslaw IV Waza elected king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after Zygmunt III Waza death November 16 - Battle of Lützen... // Events January 1 - Colonel George Monck with his regiment crosses from Scotland to England at the village of Coldstream and begins advance towards London in support of English Restoration. ... Events April 16 - The London premiere of Alcina by George Frideric Handel, his first the first Italian opera for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. ... Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ...

The Revolutionary War tested the bonds of this fellowship as leaders discussed the proper way to express historic Mennonite convictions against participating in warfare and taking oaths. A developing sense of a geographic center shifting from Skippack to Franconia was firmly established by the 1840s. In this era, progressive-minded leaders thrust beyond the protective traditional emphasis on accountability to a freer, more congregational, education-oriented, missional and innovative style of conference. As a result, since 1847, there have been two parallel fellowships. However, after a century and a half of non-fellowship, strong mutual affirmation and cooperation have reappeared. The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ... An oath (from Saxon eoth) is either a promise or a statement of fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually a god, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. ... Skippack is a census-designated place located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. ... Franconia Township is a township located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. ... // Events and Trends Technology First use of general anesthesia in an operation, by Crawford Long The first electrical telegraph sent by Samuel Morse on May 24, 1844 from Baltimore to Washington, D.C.. War, peace and politics First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Without the more progressive element, the original Franconia Conference maintained its traditional, guarded church order, through the Civil War and World War I periods. As the local Pennsylvania German language gave way to English with the dawning of the twentieth century, attempts to guard against change and worldliness produced a codification of traditional rules, and eventually a written constitution. At the same time, as conservative Mennonites began to learn outreach from neighboring Christians, youthful energy broke through into the forming of local mission congregations. Some twenty new congregations appeared from these efforts, ranging from Philadelphia to New England. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert Edward Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Combatants Allied Powers: United Kingdom France Italy Russia United States Serbia Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Nicholas II Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Reinhard Scheer Franz Josef I Conrad von Hötzendorf İsmail Enver Ferdinand I Casualties... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... This article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ...

A steady growth of institutions began with a retirement home in 1914, followed by a mission board, an “Aid Plan,” a periodical, church schools, and young people entering higher education of all kinds. These changes were further stimulated by the return of young people from wide-spread voluntary or drafted non-military service in World War II. With the 1950s came mission outreach to Mexico, where conference congregations today have sister fellowships. An institution is a group, tenet, maxim, or organization created by a group of humans. ... A retirement home is a place of residence intended for the elderly. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... This article is about the magazine as a published medium. ... The University of Cambridge is an institute of higher learning. ... A conscientious objector is a person whose beliefs are incompatible with military service - perhaps with any role in the armed forces (in which case he or she is either pacifist or antimilitarist) - or who objects to a particular war. ... This article is becoming very long. ... The 1950s was the decade spanning the years 1950 to 1959. ... A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ...

Members of Salford Mennonite Church's sister congregation, Dios con Nosotros.

As the written code of rules gave way in the 1960s to more congregational initiatives and discernment, the original role of bishops changed from that of control to that of counsel and encouragement. This was finally folded into a concept of “conference” that was more supportive and administrative than controlling. Nevertheless, a sense of responsibility for maintaining faithful scriptural standards has fostered a continuing credentialing for ministry of all sorts. Access to the heritage of faith is available in archives sponsored jointly with the “Eastern District Conference” that emerged in 1847. Image File history File linksMetadata Sister_church. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Sister_church. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... Most religions have religious texts they view as sacred. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

In the 1970s, the older usage of “conference” as the collective body of ordained persons changed in the direction of “assembly,” with strong involvement by lay members, new leadership roles for women, and the presence of many persons “born” not into Mennonite ethnicity, but a church fellowship they had espoused for its concern to follow Christ. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ...

Room was made where desired for charismatic motifs, more congregational initiative, and overhaul of traditional structures. In connection with the larger Mennonite denomination, a “Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective (1995) was accepted, along with membership, in the year 2000, in a joint “Mennonite Church USA.” The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist (Re-baptizers) denominations named after and influenced by the teachings and tradition of Menno Simons (1496-1561). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Mennonite Church USA logo. ...

References

• John L. Ruth (2006), The Franconia Mennonite Conference, Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania

External links

• Fmc-online.org - Franconia Mennonite Conference
• Mennonite Church USA - Mennonite Church USA
• MHEP - Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania
• Franconia Mennonite Conference in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
• [1] - Whitehall Mennonite Church, a member of the Franconia Conference