HISTORY OF THE CENTRAL CONFERENCE MENNONITE CHURCH

Preface

Since 1922, when the writer became pastor of the North Danvers Mennonite Church, he has been interested in the writing of a history of the Central Conference of Mennonites, The occasion for writing it was presented when a thesis was required for the Masters’ Degree at Northwestern University. After the writing of the thesis, the writer was urged by a number of Conference leaders to enlarge the work and publish it as the history of the Central Conference.

To write the hitsory of the Central Conferencce Mennonite Church was difficult because the written sources of information were very meager. These Mennonites, as well as all others, have not been very much concerned in the past about the recording of their activities. They were a rural people. At first their congregations were self-governing and independent of one another. They were not very much interested in education in the past, and so there were very few who felt they had the ability to write history. It should also be noted that the Conference is still young, not having been organized until 1908. The Church was more interested in the past years in the development of her activities and the establishment of institutions.

Although it was difficult to get information through written sources, yet the writer was very fortunate in the fact that there were quite a large number among the ministry and laity now living, who were young people at the time of the birth of the Conference. This was the opportune time for writing the history of this group. Much information was received through private interviews and correspondence with the older members of the Conference, both ministry and laity.

This history is not a detailed account of the activities and institutions of the Church. It serves rather as an outline of the history of the Central Conference Mennonite Church. It is the hope of the writer that other historians will take up various phases of the Conference work and expand it still further. The primary interest of the book is not as much to record the present activities of the Church, as it is those of the past. It is more concerned with origins and the past development and growth of the various activities and institutions.

The writer is indebted to many persons for information, criticisms, suggestions and the use of written sources. Many of these are mentioned throughout the book. The writer is particularly indebted to Mr. C. R. Stuckey, Danvers, Illinois, only son of Father Stuckey, founder of the Conference; to Mrs. J. S. Augspurger (deceased )the only daughter of Father Stuckey ; to Rev. Aaron Augspurger, Saybrook, Illinois, a grandson of Father Stuckey, who gave valuable information in private interviews and also wrote very valuable articles in the Christian Evangel and Year Book on the history of the Central Confierence; to Rev. Emanuel Troyer, the Field Secretary, who kindly read the manuscript and gave critical suggestions; to Rev. L. B. Haigh and Rev. William G. Kensinger who furnished valuable information concerning the foreign field, and to the older ministers of the various congregations, who so kindly assisted in the history of their churches. To all these and others the writer is deeply indebted and acknowledges his appreciation.

Wm. B. Weaver.

Danvers, Illinois.

Dec723; 1926;

Introduction

A history of the Mennonites, and more especially of those of America, is a task surrounded with many difficulties. But few collections of their books exist in America; in many of their churches no records have been kept, or have been lost; and many old and valuable papers and records that did exist, which would have been the ordinary source of information, have been destroyed or lost, not being regarded at the time of any value. This is true also of the Central Conference of Mennonites, as they, too, have been far more concerned about a life of service than the recording of their beneficent deeds.

Bancroft said of the Germans in America: “Neither they nor their descendants have laid claim to all that is their due.” This is attributable partly to language, partly to race instincts and hereditary tendencies. Quiet in their tastes, deeply absorbed in the peaceful avocations of life, they have permitted their more progressive neighbors to deny them a proper place even on the historic page.

Daniel Webster, in one of his speeches said, as if to commend our kind of notices: “There is still wanted a history which shall trace the progress of social life. We still need to learn how our ancestors, in their houses, were fed, lodged and clothed, and what were their employments. We wish to know more of the changes which took place from age to age in the lives of the first settlers.”

There is a great need for a history of the Central Conference. One reason why there has been such great loss in the Mennonite Church at large, the people did not know their history, and the rich heritage which is theirs. Our young people need to know the faith, the loyalty, the labor, and sacrifice of our Fathers, in building up the new communities and in building churches, and their interest in missions, for the promotion of the Kingdom of God.

Our people ought to know the history of the organization of the Conference, the beginning of Missions and the organization of the institutional work of the Church.

Rev. William B. Weaver, a life long member of the Mennonite Church, is eminently fitted to write a book of this kind. A graduate of the Shipshewana High School in the year 1905, he taught school for six years and then attended Goshen College where he received his A. B. Degree in 1914. During the spring and summer of 1914 he attended Indiana University where he majored in history.

Brother Weaver was licensed to preach in 1913. On Sept. 14, 1914, he was ordained to the ministry and installed as pastor of the Prairie St. Mennonite Church at Elkhart, Indiana.

Rev. Weaver became professor of History at Goshen College in the fall of 1914 which position he retained until 1920 when he became professor of Bible and Church History until 1922 at which time he took up the pastorate of the Eighth St. Church at Goshen for a short period. July 1, 1922, he was called to the pastorate of the North Danvers Church which position he still holds. During this pastorate, Rev. Weaver studied at the Garrett Biblical Institute, majoring in Church History and received his Masters’ Degree in 1926 from Northwestern University.

Rev. Weaver was untiring in his efforts in collecting the material for this history, and it should serve as a source of inspiration to all Mennonites and especially to the young people of the Central Conference.

Emanuel Troyer, Field Secretary of the Central Conference.

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