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 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.
On Sunday June 4, five Franconia Conference congregations (Wellspring, Methacton, Spring Mount, Frederick, and Providence) gathered in Skippack to worship together and have a picnic. Skippack has some historical significance, being the place where Mennonites first settled in Montgomery County. A few centuries later we are still here, seeking to live out a vision of faithful witness to Jesus Christ.
We celebrated the coming of the Holy Spirit to the first followers of Jesus (Acts 2), and the gifts of the Spirit present among us today. Worship included speaking and singing in different languages, and a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer included nine languages (Spanish, Indonesian, English, German, Greek, Italian, Kannada, French, Vietnamese). Pastor Sandy Drescher-Lehman of Methacton Mennonite Church presented a children’s story about the birth of the church—complete with birthday cake! —and she and the children led us in a fun birthday song.
The event was a team effort among our congregations, and I think we are discovering that we really enjoy working together and are being blessed in our common activities and growing relationships. Despite the small size of our individual congregations, we are noticing that we benefit from diverse membership and from the wisdom of our elder members. We are realizing that our small congregations can be a blessing to our conference and also to our local communities. We have unique gifts to offer, and by the end of our time together I felt energized for how we might continue to share the love and light of Christ together.