My Genealogy Hound

ZION MENNONITE CHURCH AT SOUDERTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

A large proportion of the early settlers of that part of Montgomery county were Mennonites, and hence it is only natural that members of the denomination should form a considerable portion of the population of its growing towns. Souderton is in the center of the Mennonite community, and has two churches of that faith, one belonging to the old, or Franconia, conference and one, of which Rev. Allen Myers Fretz is the pastor, adhering to the General Conference of Mennonites of America. The membership of these as well as of the other churches in Souderton, is drawn largely from the rural community. The Zion church belongs to the eastern district of the General Conference. For several years prior to the organization of the congregation, services were held for the benefit of the members residing at Souderton, under the auspices of the Home Mission and Church Extension Board of the District Conference, in a hall, and subsequently in the newly erected Reformed church.

In the autumn of 1892 a lot was purchased on East Broad street, when the erection of a church building was begun and continued through the winter. It was completed in May, and on the 21st and 22d of that month the edifice was formally dedicated. During the time the small congregation were so zealously pushing the erection of the church, a charter was procured. On February 8, 1893, the congregation was organized with the following charter members, twenty-six in all: John D. Detweiler, Catherine Detweiler, Abraham D. Detweiler, Mary Detweilter, David B. Detweiler, Annie B. Harr, Henry D. Detweiler, William D. Detweiler, John D. Moyer, Olivia Moyer, William G. Moyer, Hannah Moyer, Levi S. Moyer, Annie Moyer, Abraham S. Moyer, William S. Moyer, Menno S. Moyer, Joseph P. Moyer, Mary Clymer, Adolph Leber, Amanda Leber, Hannah Taylor, Eli M. Fretz, Catherine Fretz, Isaac S. Borneman, Leah Hunsberger. Rev. Allen M. Fretz, pastor of the Deep Run church, in Bucks county, was chosen pastor. The call was accepted by him, as an enlargement of his field of labor. He took charge of the church on April 1, of the same year, and still holds the position. Mr. Fretz’s ministrations have been very acceptable, and many new members have been added to the congregation. On June 3, 1893, the pastor baptized five young converts. The aggregate of members from the beginning is 185, and the present membership, 154. The congregation, while it discourages all modern innovations such as are so common in church work for raising funds, was able, in May, 1898, to extinguish a building debt of about eight hundred dollars, besides giving substantial aid to various departments of church work.

The church has the following auxiliaries in the carrying on of its work: Sunday school, Christian Endeavor Society, Junior Endeavor Society, Ladies’ Mission Society, Weekly Bible Study, prayer meetings, etc. Feeling that the common lodge system is in principle out of harmony with Scripture teaching, many young men being induced to join them because of their boasted pecuniary advantages, the congregation in its constitution instituted and provided for a charity fund to which regular annual contributions are made, for the assistance of the poor and sick where such assistance is needed. Regular support is also given to the Mennonite Home for the Aged at Frederick this county; to the Home Mission and Church Extsension work and the Foreign Mission cause of the Mennonite church, in India and among the Indians of America.

The preaching services as is common in nearly all Mennonite churches of eastern Pennsylvania, are conducted in both German and English, with a growing inclination to more English and less German.