A celebration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of the first Mennonite Church in the Bluffton-Pandora area will take place in a daylong event on Sunday, Aug. 30. Bluffton Swiss Community Historical Society is the event sponsor.
The celebration takes place at the site of the original log church, near 17876 Road 4, Pandora. The celebration will include a worship service, lectures, displays, hymns, and a traditional Swiss meal held under a large tent.
Myron Augsburger, revival preacher, and expert on Swiss Mennonite history, is the featured speaker. There is no charge for the event, and free parking is available on site. Golf carts will be used to aid elderly or handicapped accessibility. Ebenezer Mennonite Church, 8905 Columbus Grove Road, Bluffton, will serve as a rain option.
The schedule follows:
Noon - 6 p.m. - Bluffton University Archives exhibit: On display in Ebenezer Mennonite Church, this is a rare book collection, with treasures from the Mennonite historical collections. Program booklets will be available at this exhibit for $5, which includes a self-guided driving tour of local historical sites from the Swiss community.
3-8 p.m. Exhibits and Displays
Doctrine of Discovery - This exhibit explains how the government laid claim to native lands.
Church History - Grace Mennonite, St. John Mennonite, First Mennonite, and Ebenezer Mennonite, four churches who came from the original Swiss congregation will tell their stories through displays of historical artifacts, photos and papers.
3-3:25 p.m. - Swiss Anabaptist history in Europe: Myron Augsburger explains how the religion of the Mennonites started and why it matters.
3:30-3:45 p.m. - The Froschauer Bible: Archivist Carrie Phillips lectures on Bluffton University’s collection of rare ornate Bibles, which use the grammatical and stylistic forms of German language, which were practiced by the Mennonites in Switzerland.
3:50-4:05 p.m. - 19th Century Swiss Mennonite piety: Dr. Gerald J. Mast presents original research exploring the spirituality of the early Swiss settlers. A collection of antique devotional books brought by the Swiss settlers shows the inner spiritual life of the people. Several are still published today and will be for sale.
4:10-4:25 p.m. - 20th Century Swiss Mennonite divisions: Dr. Perry Bush tells the story of how the Swiss congregation grew and fractured and developed into churches on different theological paths.
4:30-5 p.m. - Swiss Mennonite hymn singing: Bluffton University Professor Jackie Wyse-Rhodes leads a choir performing samples of Swiss Mennonite hymn development.
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. - Children’s fun: Costumed interpreters simulate old-fashioned Sunday school challenges, including attendance ribbons and completion awards. Some activities include Bible races, stories from Missionaries and memory games.
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. - Traditional Swiss meal: Homemade sausage and sauerkraut, potatoes, and pie, suggested donation of $7. Free hotdogs for kids. Pre-order tickets from one of the four churches or online at SwissMenno175.eventbrite.com.
7 – 8 p.m. - Worship Service: With guest preacher Myron Augsburger.
The Swiss Community Historical Society is a non-profit founded over 50 years ago to honor and preserve the heritage of the Bluffton-Pandora community. It does this by collecting and preserving papers, books, artifacts, and records of historical interest, and by acquiring property important to this heritage.
The group’s activities are focused around the Schumacher Homestead, garden, summer kitchen and bank barn, 8350 Bixel Road, between Bluffton and Pandora. Swiss Community Historical Society Facebook page is regularly updated with information about local history. The Schumacher Homestead will be open for its annual Fall Festival Saturday, Sept. 26.
