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HISTORY Mennonite Roots "Mennonites are a branch of the Christian church, with roots in the radical wing of the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Part of the group known as Anabaptists (because they rebaptized adult believers), the Mennonites took their name from Menno Simons, a Dutch priest who converted to the Anabaptist faith and helped lead it to prominence in Holland by the mid-16th century. Modern day Mennonites number almost 1 million worldwide, with churches in North and South America, Africa, Europe and Asia. Mennonites are known for their emphasis on issues such as peace, justice, simplicity, community, service, and mutual aid." - (an excerpt from history.mennonite.net ) Further details of the beginnings of the anabaptist movement can be found in the online version of first portion of the following book: Harold S. Bender and C. Henry Smith, Mennonites and Their Heritage, Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania. Canadian Mennonites have a good review of Mennonite history on their website. If you want to read more about Mennonite history and all things Mennonite go to this excellent bibliography. Mennonites in Southeastern Virginia Mennonites came to Southeastern Virginia more than a century ago in search of cheap farmland. In 1897, two Mennonite ministers, Isaac D. Hertzler of Maryland and D.Z. Yoder of Ohio, purchased 1200 acres of the Denbigh Plantation from the Young family. A number of Mennonite families soon purchased land from this tract and settled along the banks of the Warwick River forming a Mennonite colony. The Warwick River and the Providence congregations were soon established. The first 50 years of this group of Mennonites is described in a book entitled, Fifty Years Building on the Warwick, which can be found in our church library. Huntington Mennonite Church Huntington Mennonite Church was started as an outreach of the Warwick River Mennonite Church in downtown Newport News, Virginia. Martha Brunk and a number of others did the initial visitations to homes in Newport News. In 1928, a six-room house at 519-34th Street was rented and the first meeting was held. The house was called the Mennonite Gospel Hall. Later a church building was constructed at 3608 Huntington Avenue and dedicated on November 7, 1937. The new mission church was called the Mennonite Gospel Mission. In 1946, Andrew Hartzler was called to be the first pastor. The mission was organized into a congregation during weekend meetings September 7-9, 1951. The name chosen for the new congregation was Huntington Avenue Mennonite Church. The area around the church began to change from homes to boarding houses, parking lots, and businesses as downtown Newport News was redeveloped. The congregation found it necessary to move to its present location on Harpersville Road. The first service in the new building was held on January 16, 1972. Further details can be found in a booklet entitled, History of Huntington Mennonite Church, by Esther Mable Yoder, written in 1972.