Bowmansville Mennonite Church (BMC), 129 Pleasant Valley Road, East Earl, will celebrate 100 years of worship in its current meetinghouse on Saturday, Jan. 15, and Sunday, Jan. 16. Snow dates are Saturday, Jan. 22, and Sunday, Jan. 23.
Mennonite settlers came to the area that is now known as Bowmansville in 1738. After meeting in homes, the Mennonites constructed a building intended specifically as a house of worship in 1794, but by 1875 a larger building was needed. Land was purchased about a mile south of town where a new meetinghouse was built, and a cemetery was laid out. By 1921, that meetinghouse no longer met the needs of the growing congregation, and it was torn down and replaced with a larger frame building that is still in use today.
At 3 p.m. each Saturday, a meeting titled "Cemeteries, Stories, and Supper" will begin the celebration. J. Carl Sensenig, local author and retired church leader, will share stories of God's faithfulness in the lives of persons who are buried in the church's cemetery. A light supper will be served where attendees will be able to continue reminiscing and sharing memories.
Each Sunday, a worship service will begin at 9 a.m. Kenneth Sensenig, historian and storyteller, will share stories about the 1922 era and the local Mennonite church in a talk titled "Chance and Change Are Busy Ever." Retired pastor Eugene Zimmerman will speak at 10 a.m. on "What We Can Learn From the Past That Will Affirm and Encourage for the Future - Isaiah 40."
Everyone is invited to enjoy lunch and more fellowship following the service on Sunday. Pictures and other items which have historical significance for BMC will be on display.
For more details, call the church at 717-445-4449.
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