Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Angel Tamayo

Introducing Nueva Vida Norristown New Life

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Nueva Vida Norristown New Life

Nueva Vida Norristown New Life Mennonite Church is located in Norristown, Pa., on the corner of Marshall and Swede streets, about a block from the Montgomery County Courthouse.

The intercultural, multilingual, urban Mennonite church that exists today was formed by God in 1990 through the joining together of three Mennonite congregations in Norristown—one Latino, one African American, and one Anglo and African American. The vision of God’s healing work of restoration, reconciliation, and transformation brought us together to become a living house of prayer for all peoples.

Nueva Vida Norristown New Life has three associate pastors: Ertell Whigham, Angel Tamayo, and Marta Castillo. The three associate pastors—there is no senior pastor—serve on a leadership team that represents the diversity of the congregation.

The calling of Norristown New Life is to be a diverse body of believers who

  • Worship the Lord in unity
  • Experience the transforming and gifting power of the Holy Spirit
  • Proclaim the Gospel of reconciliation through Jesus Christ in word and deed

Our witness to the gospel of Christ includes but is not limited to: bilingual services twice a month; outdoor services and picnics once a month in the summer; an internet café; voter ID clinics; translation services; The Benefit Bank (which connects people to social services and tax prep); Backyard Bible School; small group activities; and more.

Norristown congregation celebrates twenty years

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Norristown, PA—Nueva Vida Norristown New Life (NVNNL) Mennonite Church celebrates its 20th anniversary on Saturday and Sunday, July 17-18.

“Taste the Flavors of NVNNL” on Saturday, July 17, 4 – 7 p.m. features a gospel concert with James Crumbley of Tampa, Florida. Crumbly teaches Jazz Ensemble, Adult Voice Ensemble and Songwriting at the Patel Conservatory, which is a part of The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa, Florida. He also serves as Music Director for the Youth Theater Company ensemble, and chairs the music department at Middleton High School where he teaches chorus and orchestra.

An intercultural meal, featuring cultural delicacies from the 15 cultures and countries of origin represented in the congregation, will also be served. Donations for the meal and concert will be received.

An outdoor celebration worship service will be held on Sunday, July 18, 10:45 a.m. James Crumbley and the bilingual NVNNL worship team and pastoral team will lead worship. A special offering for the congregation’s multi-faceted capital campaign, Enlarging Our Place in God’s World, will be received.

In July 1990, Nueva Vida Norristown New Life was formed by the joining together of three “legacy” Mennonite congregations in town—Fuente de Salvación, Bethel and First. First Mennonite Church was started in 1917 by Franconia Mennonite Conference as its first mission. First Mennonite began Bethel across town as a sister congregation in 1959. After several years of sharing First Mennonite’s building, Fuente joined the Franconia Conference in 1985.

“We’d been meeting together once a year for worship and fellowship meals. On one of those occasions in 1988, God showed us, “This is my church–why are you worshiping in three different locations?” said Pastor Ertell Whigham, former pastor of Bethel. “We realized that if we wanted to be a witness in Norristown, we needed to be one multi-lingual and intercultural congregation.”

NVNNL purchased the building of the Bethany United Methodist congregation at Swede and East Marshall Street. The ministry teams, Church Council, Elders and Pastoral Team represent the ethnic diversity present in the congregation and community. Pastor Whigham, Pastor Marta Beidler Castillo and Pastor Angel Tamayo comprise the current Pastoral Team; all are associate pastors in a shared leadership arrangement.

The congregation’s presence in the Norristown community is realized through five summer outdoor worship services, Precious Life Learning Center, The Benefit Bank, ASSETS Montco micro-enterprise training, Center 4 Youth, and through the congregation’s involvement with the Hospitality Center, Crossroads Gift and Thrift Store, and the Norristown Ministerium.

The church is located at 3 and 25 East Marshall Street, Norristown. For information regarding the anniversary events or the congregation, contact the church office at 484-322-0442, nnl3@juno.com or www.norristownnewlife.com.