Church of the Month
Mennonite Brethren Reedley, Calif.
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Largest of its Denomination in North America
R eedley, Calif, in the San Joaquin Valley is sometimes called the fruit basket of the nation. Here one finds the Reedley Mennonite Brethren Church, the largest of this denomination’s churches in North America. The present membership is 1352, a tremendous increase from its be ginnings in 1905 when 11 people met for services in a school building. They now have a sanctuary with a seating capacity of 2,000 erected from 1949-1952 at a cost of $450,000. The membership is composed large ly of people in the fruit industry. Only a few businessmen are in the group. There is an equal division of
men and women in the services, prob ably due to the fact that the Mennon- ites have historically been a people emphasizing the family church. The Sunday school has 71 classes and is accomodated in three different buildings besides the sanctuary. There are classes for all ages. At the midweek Bible-study service there is also a good turnout of entire families from the congregation. They carry on a missionary pro gram of full support of one mission ary to every 76 members. They are conscientious in their job of witness ing through an extension program which reaches people in neighboring farm areas. Work has been started at
Selma with an average of 53 people in attendance at the chapel there. On the Pine Flat Dam Project services are' conducted for construction work ers. Meetings are also held in several places in cooperation with the Mis sion to the Migrants. Last year this church gave $91,000 of its budget to the various branches of missions. Pastor for the group is J. B. Toews. He came to America in 1928 as a university graduate from the Ukraine of Soviet, Russia. He has received his theological training in several semi naries in the United States. The assistant pastor is H. R. Wiens, a native of Kansas and a graduate of Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kans.
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