eastern pennsylvania mennonite church directory

The group peacefully requested to withdraw from the Lancaster Mennonite Conference in 1968, requesting to keep the 1954 discipline that was being revised. Records of baptisms and funerals, 1911-1928. The plaintiffs say the farm raises chicken, beef and pork; builds wooden pallets and fiberglass fence gates; and does interstate trucking. (1970). Schlabach is seen spelled a few different ways (Slabach, Slabaugh, Slaubaugh), as are Bontrager (Bontreger, Borntreger, Borntrager), Hostetler (Hochstetler, Hochstedler), and Wingard (Wengerd). He stayed for 10 months, during which he was threatened that if he left, they would have the police drag him back because the cops were on their side, the lawsuit says. They needed to help God make right things happen. Iglesias Menonitas de Guatemala de la Iglesia Menonita de Pennsylvania Oriental y Las Areas Relacionades. Perhaps the most significant reason is that Mennonites had a totally different concept of church from the state-church or high-church tradition. portugus, 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. View Steve Cox's business profile as Events & Communications Coordinator at Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. The men, one who spent roughly three years at the facility and one who was there for 10 months, said they were required to work at least 8 hours a day every day except Sundays and school-aged children at the facility did not receive any schooling. For approximately $2,300 a month, parents sent their "troubled" sons with . A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services told the Morning Call, which first reported the lawsuit, there were no licensing records for the facility. EMU encourages students, faculty and staff to live their faith and values through service to others, peacemaking, cross-cultural engagement and sustainability. The residents or their families had to pay around $2,300 a month and their labor often six long days a week is unpaid, the lawsuit states. More than 2000 students study at our main campus in Harrisonburg, Virginia; at our Lancaster, Pennsylvania site; and online. Thus, by 1820, some four thousand Mennonites and two hundred Amish, a closely related group, had settled in eastern Pennsylvania. . Looking for inspiration? If you are looking for a church JOIN FOR FREE to find the right church for you. Men, as a rule, do not enter the professions. [3] Homes were built for missionary families which moved from the United States. 1 vol. One on one tutoring programs and personalized teaching were effective in the adaptation of Mennonite beliefs. 2 4. Aaron Shanks choices in leadership example spared his part of the flock from such treatment. data for insight into the People and Organizations that create and serve as subjects U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. Nr. The lawsuit said they were denied food and zip-tied at times while at the farm. [2] Beginning in 1971, Mennonite Messianic Mission, the service agency of the newly created Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church, agreed to mission work in Guatemala. Rudolph, Our Mission in Guatemala (Secondary School term paper written about general Guatemalan history and Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite History involvement in the country). Church and member directory of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite church in Guatemala. Attempts were made to contact church leaders through the Mennonite Heritage Center, an organization devoted to telling the story of Mennonite faith and life in eastern Pennsylvania, and through the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. This article was published in the MHEP Newsletter in November 1995, and has been updated to include church records added to the collection since that time. Liberty Ridge was set up in Juniata County in 2011 for boys and young adult men the church considered troubled and to have spiritual, emotional and social needs as well as behavioral problems. The farm is about 40 miles northwest of Harrisburg, Pa., in Juniata County, which is home to several churches and schools affiliated with the Mennonites, a conservative Christian denomination known for its agrarian lifestyle and disconnect from technology. Bible Mennonite Fellowship. The missionaries instructed Guatemalans in the meaning and application of Bible verses and stories. In 2010 the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church had 77 congregations with 5,333 members. Vincent Mennonite Church Membership records, 1892-1897 and 1945-1986. serve Christ in visible obedience, you may be surprised how easy it is to get to Photo courtesy Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville, Pennsylvania. Zion Mennonite Church, Birdsboro PA and their youth group. Reset. First of all, what does the researcher mean by church records? Life insurance is not permitted and generally members do not use auto, health, fire, or other insurances, but rather employ a unique method of brotherhood assistance (mutual aid) that is directed by the deacons of the congregations. Mennonite Church Directory 2010. He said the agency is working with local law enforcement and is looking into the allegations. Martin Nelson, a named defendant who owns Liberty Ridge Farm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Tuesday. Translate page into: In 2020 it had 95 congregations, 6,656 members, 27 Bishops, 179 Ministers and 113 Deacons. As OCLC continues to build out the WorldCat Entities ecosystem, please use it as a source for persistent Person In a federal lawsuit against the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church, two plaintiffs said they were deprived of food and restrained with zip ties at a forced-labor farm. A woman answered the phone at a number listed as a contact for the church but then hung up. Why the bishops? Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church officials could not immediately be reached for comment Monday night. Therefore, ministers would avoid keeping records of their own congregations. Cumberland Valley Mennonite Church. The farm and its owner, identified in the lawsuit as Martin Nelson, were also named as defendants. 115 This family oriented newsletter provides editorials and devotional readings for churches and neighborhoods. Line Lexington Mennonite Church Membership records, 1911-1973; Alms record, 1850-1907; Burial records, 1901-1947. Guatemalans faced immense pressure to join the Guatemalan national forces or local watch groups known as the Civil Defense Patrol. In the late 1960s, the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church separated from the Lancaster Mennonite Conference after religious leaders decided to modernize the movement and allow members to own televisions. The findings demonstrated the power of data mining over the worlds largest set of bibliographic metadata The lawsuit was reported earlier by The Morning Call in Allentown. Leaders of the 80-acre farm allegedly used the boys to run many profitable business ventures, including farming chickens, cattle and hogs. publications in This page was last edited on 12 February 2019, at 15:23. know us, and to become a part of us. By the dawn of the twentieth century . This work will continue to build our entity ecosystem to support the As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. At one of the first sessions of the new Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, later the Eastern District Conference, a resolution was made to have all churches in the new Conference start a church membership record book. Stand by thyself, come not near to me, I am holier than thou, focusing on Eastern exclusivity, 4. Add to cart. Mennonite Christians first settled in the Delaware Valley in 1683 and have been part of eastern Pennsylvania's community and religious life for over 300 years. Leo Tolstoy said it well, I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives.. u. a. 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.[2]. The boys also built fences, gates and wooden pallets, according to the lawsuit. Add to cart. I have also included some early congregational minute books and alms records, but have not mentioned the various collections of early property deeds from local Mennonite congregations found in the archives. Early converts were attracted to the church due to the clarity and structure offered in Bible teaching programs. The Mennonite Messianic Mission, Inc. directs the group's missions in Guatemala, the Bahamas, Paraguay and Ghana. Attorneys for the farm and church were not listed in court documents. Parents were told their sons would leave reformed members of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. In 1972, the Frank Martin family along with others was the first church members to cross into Guatemala from Mexico. By 1876, the congregation re-affiliated with the Eastern District Conference of the Mennonite Church. 1 vol. Springfield Mennonite Church Membership records, 1848-1930s. J.D.M. 5. Basic Christian beliefs are outlined as well as guidance for issues like dress, relation to government, education, and other contemporary issues. The OCLC Research WorldCat Identities project is ending. The schools are provided for young people in their late teens and early 20s, and offers a wide variety of Bible and practical studies. He trusted Christ first and understood by faith that eventually Christ and His Way is blessed indeed. Zion Mennonite Church, Souderton Membership records, 1893-1998; Annual Meeting minutes, 1893-1997. Understandably, the version that circulated had no signature, even though the public was led to understand the author had identified himself to the bishop who had given him assignment. Book Instead, he spent every day working. Please allow up to ten days to receive your account information. Keeping the Trust, written by Kenneth Auker, fulfills its stated purposes: to preserve, explain, and interpret the founding story and convictions of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church, in order to "maintain a vision for the future." As such, it is a useful book for readers both within and beyond the EPMC. As far as we know, there was some sort of investigation into the home, said Franchi, lawyer for the plaintiffs. One family had to hide for cover as their home was caught in a shootout between the two forces. The Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church operates its own publishing house offering curriculum for home and traditional classroom settings and other books and are located in Ephrata, Pennsylvania - Eastern . The July/August issue was the first publication. Official doctrine of the church. Martin was instrumental in negotiating alternative service for Guatemalan Mennonites. The lawsuit by two former residents of Liberty Ridge, an 80-acre farm in Juniata County near the states geographic center, said the two plaintiffs were held there in violation of federal laws against human trafficking and forced into long hours of grueling work. Before that, he was executive director of Camp Hebron, Halifax, Pa., five years and was athletic director and health and physical education teacher, 1977-86, at Locust Grove Mennonite School, Lancaster. The Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church and Related Areas, the church's non-profit corporation that oversees the farm, is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, along with the farm itself, the . Deceptive and manipulative ordination procedures, 2. 1996-2023 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. franais, Their presence provides opportunity for leadership, contact, and witness. The Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church is a conservative sect of the Protestant group founded in the 16th century known as Anabaptists. A. Read more. Sendas Derechas. [3] Spanish and English schools have been established to provide education to the youth. The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after Menno Simons (1496-1561), although his teachings were a relatively minor influence on the group. Rockhill Mennonite Church Burial Records, 1864-1903; Alms record, 1866-1963; Trustees records, 1885-1916; Baptismal records, 1924-1956. 6. She said the farm housed four to six boys at any given time. Searchable listing of the Conservative Mennonite churches, congregations and ministers found in the Mennonite Church Directory, including links to church locations in Google Maps. Book Their life-style reflects the old Mennonite traditions. This is not a simple question. The church doctrine states that members of the church should seek to live a holy life of separation from the world. In Pennsylvania federal court on Nov. 17, they sued the Ephrata-based Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church and Related Areas; the churchs nonprofit corporation that oversees Liberty Ridge, the Mennonite Messianic Mission; and Liberty Ridge Farm in McAlisterville and its owner. North Lebanon Mennonite Fellowship Church Lebanon, PA Sunday morning 9:30am Sermon begins around 10:25am Listen by Phone 717-450-9108. [3], In 2007, the first issue of Sendas Derechas was published and distributed. Today, Anabaptist describes a family of faith that includes Amish, Brethren in Christ, Church of the Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites. Design & Hosting - Craft & Cloud Marketing Co. They wear plain clothing (dress), and their life is built around the church, schools, and religious activities. Menu; Quick Links; Application; Quick Links. If found guilty, Champ faces a mandatory sentence of 25 to 99 years in . In the lawsuit, the men accused the church and the farms operators of violating state and federal human trafficking laws, in addition to federal racketeering laws. The well-crafted, sensitive, forty-one page paper was written in response to an Eastern bishops request for the reason so many solid Eastern families were leaving the Eastern fold. Members who have violated church doctrine are excommunicated with the hope that they will repent and rejoin the church. A call to a number for Liberty Ridge listed in a Mennonite directory rang and then was disconnected. [4] These missionary families live and work, primarily in agriculture, alongside Guatemalans. Renee E. Franchi, a lawyer for the two men, said on Monday that she expected additional plaintiffs would join the lawsuit. He claims he was tied up for at least 30 minutes and disciplined by being put to work with limited or no food or water for extended periods. The separation was by mutual agreement and by official sanction of the conference. Bonebrake Family Cemetery Find a Grave. They wear plain clothing, and their life is built around the church, schools, and religious activities. Since at least 2011, parents of Mennonite boys and young men sent their sons to Liberty Ridge Farm in McAlisterville, Pa., where they would receive spiritual guidance, structure and a closely supervised homelike setting, according to court documents. The plaintiffs allege the church and Liberty Ridge violated federal laws against human trafficking, racketeering and forced labor. In 2020 it had 95 congregations, 6,656 members, 27 Bishops, 179 Ministers and 113 Deacons. Enter your email address to follow our blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Residents did receive any pay for their work and the families of the boys were required to pay roughly $2,300 a month to be there. The punishments could go on for days or weeks, the lawsuit says. Bahasa Indonesia, Eastern District Conference assembly in May 1981 at East Swamp Mennonite Church. Private schools are provided by the group so that all the member families have access to them. He also claims he was restrained and put to hard work with little or no food or water. future knowledge work of librarians. News & Media; Espaol; Subscribe; Contact Us; Convention; Resources; Give; Staff; Employment; Transparency in Coverage 2020 Mennonite Church USA | Subscribe to PeaceMail to receive news and blogs compiled into one weekly . For the most part, the Guatemalan branch of the church is held to the same standards as the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite church based in the United States. The Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church of Guatemala has five congregations in western Guatemala and about 200 baptized members. Sendas Derechas is a bi-monthly Spanish newsletter published by the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. Neuenschwander, Jesse. The Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church is a conservative sect of the Protestant group founded in the 16th century known as Anabaptists. Each summer the Ashland school offers a two-week training course for school teachers, and in December a ministers' fellowship and seminar is provided. the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Churches out of which she was formed. To check the times for your time zone, use The World Clock. Add to cart. Peace River Mennonite Church . Many of the students continue in school through 10th grade. The most recent version of the data is from Your search found 0 congregations. Despite being a school-aged minor, he received no education for the first few years at the farm, the lawsuit says. Mennonite Yearbook (1986-87): 175-78; (1997): 121-123. has positively impacted OCLCs work to build the WorldCat Entities application and the 150 million Person and Work descriptions The lawsuit is brought by two men who are former residents of Liberty Ridge Farms, a farm in Juniata County owned by Nelson Martin that the two said operated as a reform program for the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. [2], Leopoldo Maldonado One of the first Guatemalans to be baptized into the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. The church was not seen as an institution, but as a community, or congregation. It has related congregations in Belize, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, and the United States. PA 17603 717-291-8611 . The church's monthly periodical, Eastern Mennonite Testimony, is published by the Publication Board. ), Mennonite confessions of faith and minister's manual : containing the Schleitheim (1527), Dortrecht (1632), and Garden City The Pilgrim Mennonite (Eastern Mennonite Publications, 2008). Preacher Jacob B. Mensch, Skippack Congregation & Skippack District. of Anabaptist doctrine and of Old Mennonite tradition. This was the first foreign mission project for the agency. Swamp Mennonite Church, Quakertown Membership records, 1919-1987; Subscription lists and meetinghouse construction records, 1847. [3] 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. Baptism and church membership is restricted to believers who are of age to make a commitment to the church. The title Losing the Trust alluded to the highly-acclaimed title Keeping the Trust which the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church had published in 2013. 5 Mar 2023. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Eastern_Pennsylvania_Mennonite_Church&oldid=163204. Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario. Scroll down. Deep Run West Mennonite Church, Perkasie Membership records, 1853-1920; Congregational Minute Book, 1849-1949. (Eastern Mennonite Publications, 2008). Iglesias Menonitas de Guatemala de la Iglesia Menonita de Pennsylvania Oriental y Las Areas Relacionades. While they maintain a plain dress and do not use televisions or radios, eastern Pennsylvania Mennonites worship in English instead of German and drive cars, Joel Horst Nofziger, the centers executive director, said on Monday. States and Honduras. A conservative portion of Lancaster Conference cooperated to establish the Mennonite Messianic Mission (MMM) in the early 1960s and opened two voluntary service units in Danville, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware, and a Bible school for young people at Numidia, Pennsylvania. While we appreciate the privilege to serve you through this website medium, we Harrisonburg, VA: Christian Light Publications, Inc., 2010: 62-71. Sat: 10 AM to 2 PM, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), From Sandy Ridge and Pine Run to Main Street and Cross Keys: The Photography of William Histand of Doylestown. The suit did not elaborate on why the two plaintiffs were placed at the farm. EMC. Mennonites are part of the 17th-century Protestant movement known as Anabaptism. In 1970, the Conservative Mennonite Fellowship requested help with mission work in Guatemala because they had more opportunities than they could handle. D.C., one of the plaintiffs, was 14 when his parents sent him to Liberty Ridge. Most of the students continue in school through 10th grade. East Swamp Mennonite Church, Quakertown Membership records, 1848-1888. Eden Mennonite Church, Schwenksville Membership records, 1860s-1920. Mennonite Church Information (2001 . 2020 Sound Doctrine Archives Aspects of Anabaptist thinking and practice now appear in many Christian traditions, with some Anabaptist-interested folks calling themselves "Anabaptish.". Conference Site design and hosting by C&C. Directories; Mennonite Church . The paper portrayed the bishops as The Emperor Who Had No Clothes. From what we understand, there were many other young men who had similar traumatic experiences, Ms. Franchi said, estimating that the number could be in the dozens. Marcia and her husband Dale have 5 adult children and are members of Byerland Mennonite Church. Preacher I. Frank Swartz, Blooming Glen Congregation, ministerial record or diary, 1908-1935. - Vergl. Bimonthly Spanish newsletter and devotional from the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. If they misbehaved, leadership would allegedly withhold food until the boys completed their tasks and sometimes restricted the amount of rice and beans or water they could receive at mealtimes. 2023 Mennonite Church Directory $ 18.99. identifiers. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Phone interview with Wayne Rudolph. Burns Family Cemetery Find a Grave. A life of purity and simplicity is called for and television, radio, Internet, alcohol, and tobacco use are forbidden among members. In 1847, the Germantown congregation became part of the newly-formed Eastern District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church, but in 1851 left the conference, calling itself the Reformed Mennonite Church of Germantown. The Eastern Mennonite Testimony is the monthly newsletter of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. 65 Neuenschwander, Jesse. , 718 N. Main St. Newton, KS 67114 Phone: (866) 866-2872. The Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church has a written statement of standards known as the Rules and Discipline, which is reviewed every three or four years and then ratified again by the congregations. 19438-1020, Tues Fri: 10 AM to 5 PM Miners Village Mennonite Church (EPMC) Lebanon, PA Singing & Sunday School - Sunday at 9:00 AM Preaching Service - Sunday at 10:00 AM Call: 717-510-9819 | Access code 163184. Traditionally, Mennonite preachers were full-time farmers and tradesmen and who had to work to support themselves. Between 1817 and 1860, many Mennonites followed broader patterns of American migration and moved west, establishing settlements in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Iowa. The school is especially provided for young people in their late teens and early 20s, and offers a wide variety of Bible and practical studies. espaol, Renee Franchi, the mens lawyer, also told The Morning Call that she believed there were many more people who were subjected to the same abuses her clients allege. and highlighted the value of collaborative collective cataloging. 5, p. 253. Bethel Fellowship. [3], Beginning in the late 1970's Guatemala began a period of conflict between between Guatemalan government forces and leftist rebels. The issue of involvement in the Civil Defense Patrol brought much conversation and controversy to the church. Children of members do not attend public schools. Trinity Evangelical Congregational Church (Terre Hill) Trinity Evangelical Congregational Church (Terre Hill) Terre Hill, Pennsylvania . Wayne is a bishop of the Guatemalan branch of the Eastern PA Mennonite Church. The Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday. Stephen Scott: An Introduction to Old Order and Conservative Mennonite Groups, Intercourse PA 1996, page 162. Chester Weaver is a son of the Lancaster Conference Mennonite Church (baptized 1965) and also a son of the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church, becoming a member in 1972. The group adheres to the Mennonite Confession of Faith (Christian Fundamentals, 1921, Garden City, Missouri) and to many of the practices which had been upheld by the Lancaster Mennonite Conference, including the conference-type of church organization and government (polity). [3], Early mission work for the church began in the primitive highlands of Guatemala in an area known as La Victoria. Find a MC USA Church. Now in their mid-20s, the men were identified only by their initials in the lawsuit, which was filed on Nov. 17 in U.S. District Court in Allentown, Pa. [7] Church activities include street meetings, passing out tracts in the city market, and prayer meetings. [2], In the 1970s, the majority of Guatemalans were either Catholic or held indigenous beliefs. (Y.B.S. Congregations are also located in New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Vermont, Texas, Ohio, Maine, Wisconsin, Indiana, Washington, Virginia, Michigan, Massachusetts, Manitoba, and British Columbia, and in the mission countries mentioned above. Upper Milford Mennonite Church Membership records, 1867-1890s; Church property records and Congregational meeting minutes, 1870s-1890. The work provided valuable insight into how to mine bibliographic The group sponsors a 15-week winter Bible school at Numidia, Pennsylvania. The lawsuit said that the men, who were 14 and 18 when they first joined the farm, worked six days a week with no pay, and that they were physically and mentally abused when they stayed at Liberty Ridge Farm in McAlisterville, Pa. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The lawsuit is the latest allegation of abuse of power by a religious leader. In the late 1960s, the Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite . Rudolph, Our Mission in Guatemala (Secondary School Term Paper written about general Guatemalan history and Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite History involvement in the country) , 24. EMU offers rigorous academic study at the undergraduate, graduate and seminary level. There really isnt a whole lot of information out there, period, she said. A new effort toward coordination in the conference was made when a conference minister was appointed in 1982 in the person of David Hillegas. The singing is in four-part harmony without accompaniment, with some emphasis on singing instruction and special song services. Harrisonburg: Virginia Mennonite Conference-Youth Ministries Committee and Eastern Mennonite College, 1993. World Directory 2000 "Come to the River" St Louis 99 . In 1847, there was a division in this community between progressive (new) and conservative (old) Mennonites. Visit a Plain Anabaptist Church(Like the Beachy Amish-Mennonites) Conservative (evangelical) Mennonites. library holdings. In Europe, during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, Mennonites would have associated official record keeping with extra taxation and harassment by the authorities. A directory of Conservative Mennonite denominations called Pilgrim Ministry is maintained by the Pilgrim Mennonite Conference. Marcia Mylin. First Mennonite Church, Allentown Membership records, 1903-2003. Mennonite. Hostetter, Sanford. Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church, Most widely held works by The conference also had 59 schools. Church Finder | Pilgrim Ministry. Frank Martin petitioned the Minister of Defense to allow alternative service for church members instead of civil defense. Guatemala News Eastern Mennonite Testimony. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online, Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church. Flatland-Bethany Mennonite Church, Quakertown Flatland membership records, 1856-1965; Congregational Minute Book, 1890-1957; Bethany membership records, 1899-1965. So are the Amish, a group known for its more conservative customs, like shunning automobiles and worshiping in homes, barns or shops. mmylin@lmcchurches.org. . Distributed in Guatemala and other Spanish speaking countries where the church is present. The Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church and Related Areas is a Church of Conservative Mennonites organized in 1969 as conservatives withdrew from the Lancaster Mennonite Conference.