Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Congregational Profiles

Congregational Profile: Providence Mennonite Church

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by Sue Conrad Howes, Mosaic Communication Associate

Providence Mennonite Church, located in Collegeville, PA, is one of the oldest Mennonite congregations in the country. It originated in 1815, although some claim that it started as early as 1740. Providence had the oldest meetinghouse among former Franconia Conference churches, approximately built in 1815. It was later razed and replaced with a new one in 1958, which is the current meetinghouse.  

On a typical Sunday morning, Sunday School is first, and worship follows at 10:15am. The congregation sings a cappella hymns as an important part of worship. Currently, Lindy Backues is providing the sermons on a regular basis, and Garland Meyers preaches monthly.  Though the average Sunday morning attendance is 15-20, all are welcome to join for worship.  At least annually, the congregation joins with other Mennonite churches in the area (WellSpring, Methacton, Spring Mount, and Frederick congregations) for a joint worship service. 

The congregation of Providence Mennonite Church, after a worship service in January 2020. Photo provided by Rodney Landes.

The congregation travels regularly to neighboring retirement homes, such as The Landing in Collegeville, providing a short meditation and music for the residents. Each October, the church holds a pancake breakfast as a way of connecting with the community. The funds raised from the breakfast are then donated to a mission project, such as the food bank in Collegeville. The congregation regularly supports the mission work of Charles and Felicia Jones in Peru.  

The congregation is currently looking for a pastor and welcomes your prayers for the right leader for their church and that they might increase in attendance and membership as they continue to reach out to others.

Congregational Profile: Christ Fellowship

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We are an evolving Mennonite fellowship, located in Allentown, PA. We are dedicated to spreading truth and love throughout our city in Jesus’ name.

Christ Fellowship is located on West Chew Street in Allentown, PA.

Our church began when our Pastor, Sam Claudio Sr., was invited by First Mennonite Church of Allentown to join their staff to provide ministry to the surrounding community. As First Mennonite Church’s years of ministry came to an end, we continued in ministry and remained in the building. 

Today, we are a group of approximately 30 people of Peruvian, Colombian, Honduran and Puerto Rican descent. While we are bilingual (Spanish/English), we hold our services in English. This helps us minister to those around us.

Our primary focus is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all those with whom we are in contact. We understand this to be a spoken, taught, lived, and serving message. Thus, all our ministries are understood to be an expression of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. 

Together with Bethany United Methodist Church, we provide food for persons who are homeless or in need of food through our food bank. 

Our building facilities are used by Iglesia Evangelica Roca De Salvacion, a Spanish speaking congregation, and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), a group that provides support to those seeking to overcome addictions.

Members of Christ Fellowship (Allentown, PA) prepare for worship.

Currently we are undergoing some transition in our pastoral leadership but continue with the group of dedicated pastoral leaders that remain on the team.

Please pray with us that our witness and the preaching of the gospel will continue to flourish in the Allentown/Bethlehem region. We also invite you to pray that we would have the needed resources to upgrade our current facilities to make them accessibility compliant and that God would lead us to the persons he has prepared to step into the open pastoral roles.

Congregational Profile: Solidarity and Harmony Church

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by Sue Conrad Howes, Mosaic Communication Associate

Members and friends of Solidarity & Harmony Church, including Pastor Bernard Séjour (third from left) and the late Fred Kauffman (center), gather after worship. Photo credit: Bernard Séjour

Pastor Bernard Séjour grew up in Haiti. While he was studying at Hesston (KS) College, he and his family attended a Mennonite church in the South Central Conference. His family were the only people of color in the congregation. Despite the cultural differences, Séjour felt comfortable in this church. He reflects, “They didn’t necessarily call you “brother and sister” but I was treated as such.” As a result, Séjour felt the need to go back to the Haitian community to show them this new way of loving.

In 2009, he felt called by God to go Philadelphia and work with the Haitian community. Séjour did not necessarily intend to lead or plant a church, but merely to bring another perspective on how to do church. “When I visited Haitian churches in Philadelphia, I knew it would be difficult for me as an ‘outsider’ to make change where change needed to be.” 

For Séjour to pass along what he had learned in Kansas from the Mennonites, he started a Bible Study in a friend’s basement. “I learned from the Mennonites, whenever there is a meeting, there is also eating. So whenever we gathered, we started eating together … to open minds, to create relationships, to study the Bible,” recalls Séjour.  Soon the group began to ask, as they read the Bible, “If Jesus were Haitian, what would Jesus do?” And, Séjour, says, “We let the Bible speak.”

The group spent time getting to know each other, reading the Bible, and reaching out to others.  Soon they moved from the small basement to another member’s larger living room. Eventually, the group outgrew any of their homes and decided to rent a gathering place. 

As the Bible study began to grow, Séjour suggested the movement have a name: “Solidarity & Harmony.” The name was suggested, according to Séjour, because this is the mission of being church, and “this isn’t happening in the Haitian churches …. We need to help each other because we are community and family.”  

Through a connection from Hesston, KS, Séjour met Fred Kauffman, who worked for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Kauffman was instrumental in helping Séjour and the church get connected to Eastern District Conference and feeling like a congregation. In fact, Kauffman became Séjour’s “right hand,” not only helping him with church life, but also preaching once a month and being a wonderful friend. Sadly, Kauffman died in December 2019, leaving a significant legacy that the church desires to pass along.

During a typical worship service at Solidarity & Harmony, many languages are used because “God speaks all languages.” Songs are sung in English, Creole, and French. The children’s sermon is given in English. If there are guests, the rest of the service, including the sermon, will continue in English and French. If everyone present is Haitian, then they proceed using Haitian Creole.

Currently the congregation size is between 30-40, but immigrant churches fluctuate greatly, depending on the political situation, the economy, and where the work is.  When members move away to follow work or for other reasons, Séjour works hard to keep them connected through social media groups.

Pastor Séjour and the congregation have a deep desire to celebrate God’s love with all people. “We are a loving people,” he explains. “Get to know someone else before you judge.  Haiti is known for poverty, but do not discriminate against us because we are Haitian. We would like your love, not your money.”

Join with others to pray for these specific requests from the Solidarity & Harmony congregation:

  • For better understanding of discrimination in our personal lives and in our world. Discrimination is not something God wants in the church. Pray for those who are discriminated against and for all those who discriminate.
  • For God to continue to be God to all people.

Congregational Profile: Vincent Mennonite Church

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By Dave Mansfield, Pastor

Many participate in the Annual Country Fair event at Vincent Mennonite Church which is held every August and includes an antique tractor show, exotic pet exhibit, food, and more.

Vincent Mennonite Church (Spring City, PA) is still going strong after 285 years. Our current building is just a few miles from the original meetinghouse, which still stands today. We are a congregation that enjoys community and getting together, whether it is on Sunday mornings or whenever else we can find a good excuse. We have regular fellowship meals, seasonal celebrations in our pavilion and grove, holiday celebrations, and more.

Our gatherings allow us to reach out to our surrounding community and invite them to join us. Our Fall Harvest Party and Chili Cook-off is a favorite of our congregation and friends. The Children’s Christmas Musical is always a wonderful addition to our congregational life in December. However, our biggest event is our annual Country Fair which we hold every August. It draws hundreds of people from across the region with our antique tractor show, chicken BBQ, exotic pet exhibit, and more. 

Pastor Dave Mansfield preaches during worship at Vincent Mennonite Church. 

On a typical Sunday morning, you will find about 85 of us gathering for worship. We enjoy singing the old hymns and the new favorites. Many people from the congregation participate in the service, from hosting to praying, music to message. 

Like many of our other rural congregations, we find ourselves still navigating the cultural and geographical changes of the last several decades. Our surrounding landscape has changed from tractors to tracts of houses, and our populace has grown and diversified as well. Please pray that we could learn how to effectively minister into the community in new ways.

As we find ways to connect the values of our faith to modern methods of expressing them, we pray that we might increase our awareness of and compassion for our surrounding community. We dream that someday our church will become a focal point of our neighborhood, rather than a landmark.  

Prayer requests from the Vincent congregation.:

  • Our congregation is looking to hire a new administrative assistant. Please pray that the right person is hired for this position.
  • Please pray for us as we dig deeply this summer into being engaged in our community and more welcoming to guests.
  • Pray that we make good decisions regarding adapting to the pandemic: which ministries should we offer and how do we adapt them to this season?

Congregational Profile: Fairfield Mennonite Church

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Fairfield (PA) Mennonite Church is a place of hope and healing where people from diverse backgrounds seek together “to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

Founded in 1927, the church founders, formerly members of Mummasburg Mennonite Church, had more “progressive” views on issues such as education, insurance, dress, and Sunday School and sought to begin a new congregation in Fairfield, PA.  

From the beginning, Fairfield Mennonite has been committed to serving the local community and world.  Throughout the years, our members have been instrumental in creating and supporting local agencies through serving on many local boards and volunteering. 

The Fairfield Food Pantry began inside the church in 1971 to serve local families in need of a hand-up. As the needs of residents in Fairfield and surrounding communities increased, so did the need for more space for the Pantry, so a shed was placed outdoors. Again, in 2006, the need for more space continued, and our current shed was built. To learn more about the Pantry, please visit and like The Pantry Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/FairfieldPALocalPantry/

The first International Gift Festival, held in November 1961 at our church, was the brainchild of Ruth Musselman and the Ladies Service Guild in cooperation with Edna Ruth Byler. Edna Ruth Byler initiated the idea of a jobs creation program within the Mennonite Church and saw the Gift Festival as a new way of marketing her projects and training individuals in other churches wanting to hold their own sales. In this way, Fairfield Mennonite played a significant role in helping to birth what is now Ten Thousand Villages. Pending the status of COVID-19, our 60th International Gift Festival and Sale is scheduled for November 10-14, 2020.

As a church, we seek to be inclusive in our worship and service, recognizing the wisdom of many faith traditions and welcoming everyone in the spirit of Jesus. In doing so, we hope to break down barriers that divide us from each other so that we may unite in faith through service to the world.

We at Fairfield Mennonite share a vision of following Jesus, being accountable to each other and try to agree to disagree in love. We believe that peace and forgiveness are not just possible, but an integral part of following Jesus. We are people from many different walks of life, educational levels, professions, and religious backgrounds who value community and family. We focus on participation, not membership. We value the free expression of ideas and questions about the meaning of life. And, we love music and food!

Please pray that we at Fairfield Mennonite Church will be open to hear and follow the Spirit’s leading on how best to bring the light and good news of Jesus to individuals, families, our broken communities, nation, and world.

Congregational Profile: Salem Mennonite Church

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by Pastor Bruce Eglinton-Woods

Salem Mennonite Church is a worshipping community located in Quakertown, PA. We are a small, gospel-oriented congregation. We desire to impact the world around us through promoting the Kingdom of God. We enjoy being together for worship and fellowship. We enjoy serving God and each other so our world will know salvation in Jesus.

Pray for Salem that we will become unified in Christ, as Jesus builds the church here. May we love each other and build each other up in Christ. May we celebrate each other’s gifting as we represent Christ to the community around us.

Congregational Profile: Garden Chapel

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by Maria Hart

The Garden Chapel is located in Victory Gardens, New Jersey and is the only church in the town. In 1941, the borough of Victory Gardens was acquired by the federal government to build a housing project for war industry employees. The borough was named for the “victory gardens” planted at private homes during World War II.  The chapel where our congregation meets originally housed military personnel.  After the war ended, the building was eventually re-purposed to foster peace and was established as a Mennonite church in 1971.   

Since its inception in 1972, Garden Chapel, the chapel at the “bottom of the hill,” has served Victory Gardens and its neighboring communities in many ways.  Led by Claris and Mavis Baker, the Sprouts Garden Club welcomes youth and grown-ups each spring to help grow a garden full of kale, eggplant, carrots, string beans, strawberries and more to share with the community.  

WALL (Worship Arts League), founded by Maria Hart, provides quality music instruction for those who desire to play an instrument but may not have the resources for lessons. Annual performances are held to showcase the students’ gifts as well as to inspire others to use their gifts in the arts to make a positive difference in society.  Our Summer Program had traditionally provided quality childcare in a vibrant summer camp setting focused on teaching Christian values as well as the Arts. It is momentarily paused until building repairs are completed.  

Members from Garden Chapel participate in worship. Provided by Maria Hart.

We currently are led by two pastors who tirelessly work for the good of our church and community. Pastor Timothy Hart grew up in the Dover, NJ area and attended the chapel during his childhood.  Prior to his ministry at The Garden Chapel, he was a Youth Pastor in Bloomfield, NJ.  In 2010, The Garden Chapel invited Pastor Tim to “revive” the ministry of the church.  

Now, a decade later, Pastor Tim continues to pastor the church as he serves the community and beyond, with his wife, Maria, and daughter, Melody.  “Team Hart” brings forth a vision of a church that embraces people from all walks of life and different places of the world in order to share and celebrate the grace and goodness of God.  

In 2015, a bilingual service was introduced to better serve those who speak Spanish but are not quite fluent yet in English. Pastor Héctor Quiñones was ordained and installed that year.  He initiated free ESL classes and continues to help residents who need to learn English for employment and attain basic English literacy.  His wife, Lisa Quiñones, brings her expertise in music and has richly grown the bilingual worship team and choir groups. “Team Quinones” (which includes Lyah, Josias, and baby Yannah) have blessed us with their passionate pursuit to do all for the glory of God. 

Pastors Tim Hart and Héctor Quiñones. Photo provided by Maria Hart.

The Garden Chapel Council is a team of leaders who are committed to being diligent stewards of the house of God.  They give generously of themselves and offer tremendous support to The Garden Chapel. Presently, they are: Aileen Ince, president; Jeannine Adams, vice president; Donna Patierno, treasurer; Mavis Baker, and Maria Hart, secretary.  

The Garden Chapel’s mission “to love God, love our neighbors, and love each other” simply expresses the heart of every activity and event held within and outside the walls of the church. It is our love for God and the love for all people that underlies the ministry and inspires the Garden Chapel team to serve relentlessly. 

Prayer requests:

1. Pray for guidance/wisdom in regards to reopening the church. Pray for the leadership team, especially that they stay in accord with God’s will. 

2. Pray for protection and provision over the congregation & their community.

3. Pray for God to heal those who are ill.

Congregational Profile: Frederick Mennonite Church

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by Greg Law

Frederick Mennonite Church began around 1950 when some Perkiomenville Mennonite Church members wanted to expand their outreach further west. The original meeting place was the Bertolet Meetinghouse (which had no indoor water or bathrooms) in Frederick, PA. In 1966 our current location was built (with indoor plumbing) across the street from the Bertolet Meetinghouse with an addition in 1994.

The first minister was unsalaried which was common for the time. Gradually, we moved along until we had a full-time pastor.  After his departure, we had a half-time interim pastor. Over the past few years, we mostly utilize a “self-employed truck driving preacher” from within the congregation as our main speaker.

Once a month we forgo the normal Sunday morning routine and have a potluck breakfast together in the fellowship hall. This is followed by a free form gathering around the same tables where each person is encouraged to share. We share prayer requests, concerns, how God is speaking to us, and sometimes choose a song to sing together.  We really do feel like a family!

Being a small congregation presents challenges, but it also provides the opportunity of being able to know each other pretty well.  We have a weekly women’s Bible study and a monthly men’s breakfast which are both open to anyone from Frederick or beyond.

The Bertolet meetinghouse

Twice a year we partner with several other small Mennonite congregations for a joint service and picnic in the summer and a rotating Thanksgiving service.  Frederick also hosts two hymn sings in the old Bertolet Meetinghouse in June and October.  For many years there has been a nursery school in our church building that runs during the school year.  This has provided some connections to the local community.

Our location does not help us in our desire to be more connected to the community, since we are not on a main road nor centrally located. However, we are on the same road used to get to the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival, so we do get a lot of traffic for a few days in August. We open our church building for interaction, prayer, cold water, and bathrooms during the festival.

Perhaps the biggest recent change for our congregation has been having a “roommate.”  Through a God-led encounter, we connected with a small Assemblies of God congregation (“Ignite”) that needed to relocate its meeting place.  From that encounter, we now have two congregations using the same building at different times.  Frederick uses the building first, then Ignite follows.  Both of us overlap in the lobby between services and we have been known to even sneak in on each other’s services.  The shared space has worked well and we are grateful that our church building is being used more regularly.

We love what Jesus has done for us and want others to know Him too!  The pandemic has changed worship patterns, and we’ve seen many views of Grant’s sermons on Facebook.  Only time will tell if any of those watching from home choose to unite with local congregations. We’d love to see new faces.

Frederick Mennonite is like a gem: small but precious, hidden until you can see the inner beauty. Come visit us – if you can find us! (526 Colonial Rd, Frederick, PA 19435)