Lancaster Mennonite Historical
Society thanks these
generous business supporters:
Sponsors
Four Seasons Produce, Inc.
“Growing Ideas,
Producing Excellence”
www.fsproduce.com
Good Books
Publishers of “The Global
Mennonite History Series”
www.GoodBooks.com
Landis Homes
“Serving One Another”
www.landishomes.org
Triangle Refrigeration Co.
“Quality Heating and Air
Solutions for over 40 Years”
www.trianglerefrigeration.com
Partners
CCAB Insurance & Benefits, Inc.
Elite Mailing Services
Executive Printing Co., Inc.
Good To U Auto Center, LLC
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society (USPS 882-020)
2215 Millstream Road,
Lancaster, PA 17602-1499
Groff’s Plumbing & Heating
Hershey Advisors, P.C.
Lancaster Mennonite School
Mast Electric, Inc.
The Old Country Store
Sign-A-Rama Lancaster
Spectrum Printing, Inc.
Robert H. Ranck, Inc.,
Plumbing, Heating &
Air Conditioning
TCW Computer Systems, Inc.
Periodicals
Postage
PAID
Lancaster, PA
Inside:
yy 20th-century singing
yy Longhouse grand opening
yy Growing faith communities
Recent library acquisitions
By Steven L. Ness
Religion/Theology
Eriksson, Sven. Closer than a brother :
building deeper friendships. Faith & Life
Resources, 2004 (BV4528.2 .E75
2004)
Faith markers : marking each child’s faith
journey. Faith & Life Resources, 2008
(BX8128.C48 F35 2008)
Houser, Gordon. Relatively speaking :
strengthening family ties. Faith & Life
Resources, 2004 (BV4528.2 .H68
2004)
4
Parler, Branson L. Things hold together :
John Howard Yoder’s Trinitarian theology of
culture. Herald Press, 2012 (BR115.C8
P37 2012)
Vital Christianity : spirituality, justice,
and Christian practice. Ed. by David
L. Weaver-Zercher & William
H. Willimon. T & T Clark, 2005
(BV4501.3 .V58 2005)
Yoder, John Howard. Radical Christian
discipleship. Herald Press, 2012
(BV4501.3 .Y63 2012)
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society • www.lmhs.org
Biography/Genealogy
Fisher, J. B. Outside of paradise : growing
up Amish. Strategic Book Publishing
and Rights Co., 2011 (BX8143.F57 A3
2011)
Fisher, Susie. Plain English. Susie Fisher?,
2012 (CT220.F536 A3 2012)
Hershey, Katherine. From then until now.
Katherine Hershey?, 2009 (BX8143.
H477 A3 2009)
Martin, Wayne S. Descendants of Peter H.
Sauder. 1960 (CS71.S2562 1960)
Longhouse
opening slated
Featuring guides and native
American artisans, the grand opening
of the Lancaster Longhouse along
Hans Herr Drive near Willow Street,
Volume 45, Number 2 • April 2013
Pennsylvania, will occur Saturday, May
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society • www.lmhs.org
18, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Open to
the public, this event is free of charge
although donations will be welcomed
for this project, one of very few outdoor
longhouses in the state of Pennsylvania.
Native American artisans, nestled
around the newly completed longhouse,
will teach visitors about the skills and
crafts of local Native peoples―flint
knapping quill work, Native pottery, hide
scraping, and Native games for children
of all ages. Guides inside the longhouse
will describe daily life in a longhouse,
the home of several families related to
each other through the women in these
families.
Built on the grounds of the 1719
The original Table Singers in 1987. Their name originated from the use of the singers’ table in
Mennonite worship services in the Lancaster area before the era of pulpits.
Herr House & Museum, the Lancaster
By David L. Sauder
Longhouse replicates the dwelling of
In a special twenty-fifth anniversary that German-language hymns played,
eastern woodland Native Americans. The
especially in the early years of the
program at the Mellinger Mennonite
size is based on a longhouse footprint
twentieth century. Mennonites loved
Church at 7:00 pm on Saturday,
found in Washington Boro, Pennsylvania,
gospel songs, of which many appeared
May 4, former Table Singers will
where a village of several thousand
in each hymnal. Singing schools and
commemorate the group’s beginning in
Susquehannocks formerly existed.
shape-note training developed many
1987. Cosponsored by Lancaster Roots
Measuring sixty-two feet long and twenty
singers into becoming capable of
2013 and Harmonies, the “Just Sing!”
feet wide, the Lancaster Longhouse
program will feature a singers-table skit, singing in harmony, making four-part
was constructed from tree saplings and
a cappella singing a much-loved type of
written narration, and participation in
covered with man-made tree bark.
singing for many Mennonites.
singing by the attendees.
During the grand opening Ned
Missionary hymns brought conThe Mennonite Church published
Pelger, project manager; Harold Mast,
five hymnals in the years spanning 1903 viction to many people, and Mennonite Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society
weddings began to include special songs board member; and Rebecca S. Gochto 1953, and Table Singers programs
for those occasions.
featured all five in alternate years until
nauer, director of the 1719 Herr
During the evening program, songs House & Museum, will discuss the
2001. J. D. Brunk edited several of
will be tied together with narration
these books, and one of the programs
project from inception to completion,
to add musical and historical interest.
featured his songs.
including research to insure accuracy
The audience will be invited to sing
The group’s director, Glenn
and authenticity. A short ceremony
hymns from all five of the featured
M. Lehman, also demonstrated the
will take place at 1:00 pm, and words of
hymnbooks. Glenn M. Lehman, assisted dedication and blessing for the Lancaster
influence of Mennonite-sponsored
by others, will lead the singing.
radio programs as well as the role that
Longhouse will be offered. A white pine
Lancaster Roots plans joint cultural tree, the Iroquois symbol of peace, will
Mennonite colleges played in shaping
events for the Lancaster Mennonite
Mennonite hymnody during the first
be planted.
Historical Society and the 1719 Herr
half of the twentieth century.
Native fry bread, tacos, strawberry
House & Museum while Harmonies
Emphasizing several themes, this
tea, freshly squeezed lemonade,
program will include the significant role promotes congregational singing.
(continued on page three)
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society • www.lmhs.org
1
20th-century singing:
What made it so great?
Upcoming Lancaster Roots events
Lancaster County cultural events organized by Lancaster Mennonite Historical
Society (LMHS) and the 1719 Herr House. All events meet at
LMHS unless otherwise specified. For a complete list, go to
www.LancasterRoots.org.
Friday, April 12, 6:30–9:00 pm
Auction of Rare and Used Books F
Saturday, April 13, 6:00 pm
Annual Banquet Catch up with
author, evangelist, pastor, and professor
Myron S. Augsburger on the topic
“Can we move forward without looking
backward?” At Weaver Markets Banquet
Facility. (See registration form below.) $ R
Sat. & Sun., April 13 & 14, 1–4 pm
opening reception:
Face to Face: The Meeting of Two
Diverse Cultures
Imagine the interactions of Native
Americans and European settlers
in eighteeenth-century Lancaster
County. Exhibit continues through
December 15: Saturday and
Sunday, 1:00-4:00 pm; weekdays by
appointment. At Conestoga Area
Historical Society, Conestoga, Pa. F
Friday, June 14, 6:30–9:00 pm
Auction of Rare and Used Books F
The Mirror (ISSN 0738-7237) is a
bimonthly newsletter published
by the Lancaster Mennonite
Historical Society; Carolyn C.
Wenger, editor. Phone: (717) 3939745; fax: (717) 393-8751; e-mail:
[email protected]. POSTMASTER:
Please send address changes to
The Mirror, Lancaster Mennonite
Historical Society, 2215 Millstream
Road, Lancaster, PA 17602-1499.
2
F Free admission
$ Fee charged
Friday, May 10,
8:30 am–5:00 pm
FIELD TRIP: Columbia,
Wrightsville, and the
Gettysburg Battlefield
Tour Gettysburg 150 years after the
infamous battle. $ R
R A
dvance reservations
required. Contact LMHS
at (717) 393-9745 unless
otherwise noted.
Friday, May 10, 8:30 am–noon
FIELD TRIP: Walking Tour of
Lancaster City Visit four of
Lancaster’s notable churches. $ R
Saturday, May 11, 8:30 am–4:30 pm
Family History for Smarties (and
Others, Too!) Whether you’re a
beginner or a pro, dig into your family
history at the 34th annual Lancaster
Family History Conference. More than
a dozen seminars plus keynote address
by genealogist Dr. John Philip Colletta.
Lancaster Host Resort & Conference
Center. $ R
Please note: The following three field trips
will be offered first to those registered for the
Lancaster Family History Conference on May 11.
Thursday, May 9, 8:30 am–4:30 pm
FIELD TRIP: Pennsylvania State
Library and Archives Research
your family history at two Harrisburg
institutions. $ R
KEY TO SYMBOLS
Monday, June 10, 7:00 pm
Amish & Mennonite: History of
Growing Faith Communities Trace
the history of Amish and Mennonite
migrations in the United States since
the late-17th and early-18th centuries
with Mennonite historian Steve Nolt
and representatives of Old Order
Mennonite and Old Order Amish
communities. Martindale Mennonite
Fellowship Center. F
Saturday, June 15, 9:00 am–4:00 pm
Blacksmithing Start a fire, make coke,
heat steel, and use a hammer and anvil
to make a candlestick holder or hook
rack. Contact the 1719 Herr House.
$ R
EVENT REGISTRATION
___ Annual Banquet Saturday, April 13, 6:00 pm $25.
___ Family History for Smarties (and Others, Too!) Saturday, May 11,
8:30 am–4:30 pm $95 LMHS members; $110 nonmembers.
Total $  My check is payable to Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society.
Please charge my:  Visa  MasterCard
 Discover
Card number Expiration date Security Code Name Address City State Zip Phone E-mail Please return to LMHS, 2215 Millstream Road, Lancaster, PA 17602-1499.
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society • www.lmhs.org
Longhouse (continued from front)
hamburgers, and hot dogs will be
available for sale. Vendors of Native
American crafts will also attend. Spirit
Hawk Gallery from Leola will have
items for sale, and Native beads and
other Native crafts will also be available
for purchase. Proceeds from a silent
auction of Native American crafts will
help to support the Longhouse project.
According to Lancaster Longhouse
director Rebecca Gochnauer, “The
Longhouse is an expression of one
community’s respect for another. It
provides space and opportunity for
education about the people who lived in
Lancaster County before the settlement
of the Herr family.”
In addition, she noted, “It also
creates an awareness of the Native
American influence on Lancaster
County and Pennsylvania during
the colonial period. Hopefully the
Lancaster Longhouse can inspire
conversation between people of
different backgrounds to foster greater
appreciation and respect for those who
are different from themselves.”
Community events
Amish America: Plain Technology
in a Cyber World—June 6–8 at
the Young Center at Elizabethtown
College. An international conference
featuring presentations on many
aspects of Amish life. Visit www.
etown.edu/amish2013.
Valentine and Anna Nissley Metzler
Descendants, 275th Anniversary—
Remember the Metzlers’ arrival in the
New World in 1738. June 14–15 at
Metzler Mennonite Church and the
Jacob Metzler homestead, Lancaster,
Pa. Send genealogical information to
[email protected]. For information
or to assist with this event, contact
[email protected].
Schürch (Sherk, Shirk, Sherick)
Heritage Tour to Switzerland—
September 29–October 8. Visit
Schürch ancestral homesteads in the
Stability and change: Evolving constituencies
By Rolando Santiago, Director
Who are the constituents of
Lancaster Mennonite Historical
Society? What roles do they play?
These questions were raised at the
February meeting of the Society board.
Constituencies of a church-based
organization help determine the degree
to which the organization is
stable or changes.
This Society is blessed
with strong church constituencies. Its two supporting
conferences include Lancaster
Mennonite Conference and
Atlantic Coast Conference
of Mennonite Church USA.
These church constituencies
stand alongside other Anabaptist and
community constituencies that serve
as agents of stability and change. They
include over two thousand members
who receive the quarterly Pennsylvania
Mennonite Heritage, free online resources,
and event discounts. They also include
participants in the Family History
Conference, shoppers in the bookstore,
library and museum users, and many
others.
Focusing on the Society’s church
constituency, Conrad Kanagy reported
in Road Signs for the Journey: A Profile of
Mennonite Church USA (2007) that daily
prayer was practiced by three-quarters
of MC USA members. This remained
Swiss Emmental, and take tours of
Zurich, Luzern, Interlaken, Bern, and
much more. For information contact
Sue Shirk—[email protected], (717)
394-2947—or Tom Sherk—tsherk@
comcast.net, (610) 589-1888.
Looking for Student Interns―
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society
is seeking one or two Pennsylvania
college students to serve as summer
interns to assist with the annual
Bookworm Frolic and other duties.
Interested persons may contact Rolando
Santiago at [email protected].
constant from 1972 to 2006. In 2006 MC
USA members from racial and ethnic
backgrounds other than White made up
over fifteen percent of its constituency.
However, in 1991 these members were
only six percent of the constituency.
How does the Society develop programs
that cultivate the faith and
life of a constituency that
is experiencing stability but
also is becoming increasingly
diverse?
The Society also benefits
from much larger church
dynamics. For example,
Mennonite and Brethren in
Christ churches in the United
States are preparing for Mennonite
World Conference Assembly, to take
place on July 21-26, 2015, in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. In Winds of the Spirit
(2012) Conrad Kanagy found that
Mennonites from the global south are
more numerous, younger, and more
eager to share their faith than Lancaster
Mennonite Conference members. I am
excited about what the global-south
influence will mean for the Society.
But I am also excited about the
impact that other constituencies bring
and also how they invigorate and renew
the Lancaster Mennonite Historical
Society.
Swope Songbook Collection to Be
Sold―Starting with the Lancaster
Mennonite Historical Society’s April
12 auction of rare, out-of-print, and
used books, the first part of the Wilmer
D. Swope (Leetonia, Ohio) songbook
collection will be offered to dealers,
collectors, and others interested in
church music. Nineteenth-century
treasures include oblong tune books
and singing-school books published in
Boston and New York City with music
by Mason, Hastings, Johnson, and
Bradbury. The remaining books will be
sold on June 14 and September 13.
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society • www.lmhs.org
3