Holly Grove Mennonite Church MD Brief History

HISTORY OF HOLLY GROVE MENNONITE CHURCH AT WESTOVER, MARYLAND

The First 25 Years

By Anna Malin

The first Mennonite family moved to Westover from Michigan in 1909. Word soon got around that there was farm land available at reasonable prices in this area, and other adventurous families moved here from Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Virginia and probably other states. Each family brought with them a love for God and a need to worship and serve Him. They started meeting in homes for worship services; then they used the Adams School House. Bishop John S. Mast from Elverson, PA, and other' ministers, came frequently to preach.

In 1919, there were 8 to 10 families here. John S. Mast was given official charge of this group, and they became an organized congregation.

In September 1919 a special business meeting was held. A decision was made to build a church, and this present site was chosen. The land for the church and cemetery was donated by John Hooks. My grandfather, Milt Zook, was appointed head carpenter for the building project. My uncle, Paul Zook, who was 13 when the church was built, told me this story:

"Everyone thought it was a good idea to. build the church, until someone said, 'Where will we get the money?' Well, nobody had any money. My father lived right across from the where the church house was to be built. I guess everybody thought he was sticking his neck out when he said, 'We will build the church house, just leave it to me,' because everybody knew Milt Zook didn't have any money either. So the next morning Milt hooked the mule to the buggy, and started out. He went to all the neighbors, the southern people that lived there, and the church people. He told them we are going to build a church house, and asked, 'Would you like to help by giving a tree out of your woods to saw for lumbe~? It would be nice if you could take the tree to the mill and have it sawed and return the lumber to the building site.' He got a very good response from everyone without any exceptions that I know of.

One of the best was our closest neighbors, Pete Johnson. He took Milt and went to the woods to look for a tree. He told Milt, 'We are going to find the biggest tree in my woods.' They walked. and measured trees till they came to one super big oak, and Pete said, 'This is your tree.' One of our neighbors, I think it was Pete, said 'If you don't have enough lumber when it is sawed, just go into my woods and cut down trees till you have enough to finish the building. ' .

They got all the lumber they needed, without going back and asking for more. Milt Zook was the builder with the church men and boys. The result of a man sticking out his neck is the original Holly Grove church house!"

In January 1920, the men began cutting timber. All the men and boys worked together to build a 32 foot by 40 foot building, at a cost of $3,000! This was a real sacrifice for the early church group, and more evidence of their love for God and their desire to have a House of Worship. This first building is the foyer of the present church.

The first service in the new church was on July 24, 1920. It was the wedding of Maude Zook and Amos Hooks.

My mother, Ruth Hostetler, wrote an article about the early church. In it she said, "Having our beginning in the depression, we learned to depend on the Lord, and on each other. He has cared for us and helped us. In those early years, we often rode in a two horse wagon or a durban. Many nights we walked to church or prayer meeting through mud, carrying a coal oil lantern to light our way. But we wouldn't have thought of staying home."

In 1921 Minister Aaron Mast and family moved here from Pennsylvania, and served until 1933. He was the first resident minister at Holly Grove. In 1922, Minister George Hostetler and family came from Virginia. George assisted Aaron in the ministry. Also in 1922 the first Bible conference was held.

In those early years, the church had frequent special meetings, such as Bible conferences, missionary meetings, and revival meetings, with many visiting ministers taking part, thus bringing a rich supply of Bible teaching, instruction and encouragement to the young, growing church.

Soon after organizing, the congregation started having Young People's Bible Meetings, sometimes followed by a sermon.

Singing has always been a vital part of the worship at Holly Grove, and there were often Singings on Sunday evenings. Two of the early music leaders and teachers were Menno Detwiler and George Hostetler, and their children and grandchildren have carried on that tradition. Some of you may remember the first song books, Life Songs Number One, and. Church and Sunday School Hymnals.

I'm not sure when we first had a library. But I've heard how the first library books were stored in a wooden box, and kept under the back bench. That was in the days when the church was still only a one room building.

In 1927, two small rooms were added at the back of the church, towards the woods. These were used for Sunday School, nursery, and counseling.

George Hostetler was instrumental in starting a Literary Society for the young people in the 1930's, and this continued for 30 or more years. It was the big social event of the month for young people.

The first ordination at Holly Grove was on September 16, 1933, and that was the only time Holly Grove had two ordinations in one day. That Sunday morning, the congregation had a communion and foot-washing service. In the afternoon, Minister George Hostetler was ordained Bishop. Then votes were taken for a minister. Five people were chosen as candidates and Gounseled for the ministry. In the evening, by using the lot, Roy Payne was chosen from the five, and was ordained that same evening. Roy served as minister until 1936.

Amos King was ordained in 1936 and served as minister until 1962. In 1937, Amos organized and directed the first Summer Bible School, which had an enrollment of 63. This work has continued annually for 57 years now.

In the early 1940's, with the onset of World War I, our government made special provision for nonresistant Christians to serve in some service other than combatant military. Harold Hostetler was one of the first young men from Holly Grove to be called to serve, and he chose Civilian Public Service (CPS). In October 1942 Harold left for Luray, Virginia.

An interesting note in my mother's history states that Joe Hostetler was chosen to teach Harold's Sunday School class of boys. And David Hostetler took over the janitor's work in Harold's place. These young men, along with many, many other people, have shared in the responsibility of keeping the church work going.

We give God the glory for all those who have planted and watered and cultivated our early church. And we thank God for the growth, not only in numbers, but more importantly, the Spiritual growth that has happened at Holly Grove. Today we can say with the Psalmist: "The lines have fa11en unto me in pleasant places. Yea, I have a goodly heritage" (Psalms 16:6).

Then there were those who came to hold weeklong or weekend meetings. These were Bible Conferences and Revival Meetings. Again, a few of these guests were: Milo Kauffman (President of Hesston College), Ivan Magal (speaker for the Russian Mennonite Hour), Mr and Mrs Joseph Hershkowitz (Christian Jews from Europe who had survived Nazi persecution), G. Irvin Lehman and Daniel Lehman (professors from EMC), Fred Augsberger (for a week of meetings), and Milton Brackbill.

The names of Ralph Malin, Clarence Overholt and Kenneth Good cropped up frequently as guest preachers.

In June of 1947, we have the first account of a group from EMS (as it was then called). "The Gospel Team from Eastern Mennonite School, consisting of twelve young people, gave a very impressive program of songs and testimonies at the Holly Grove church. The next day they gave a half hour program over a loud speaker in Pocomoke." This church always counted it a privilege to have choruses form EMS, later Eastern Mennonite College. These programs, under the direction of J. Mark Stauffer, were well attended by the community as well as by the church.

In an entry made in July 1953, Ruth recorded the regular activities of the church:

· Jail Service, the second Sunday of each month;

· Prayer Meeting, every Wednesday evening;

· Singing at Crisfield Hospital, the third Sunday afternoon of the month;

· Literary two Thursday nights a month;

· Singing two Tuesday nights a month;

· Sewing Circle the first Thursday of each month;

· Cottage Meetings the last Sunday of each month.

In November 1963, Amos King resigned as minister, and in December, Harold Hostetler resigned as deacon.

Paul Erb (editor of The Gospel Herald) and his wife Alta were here, December 13-15, 1963, for a series of meetings. Paul spoke on missions and Alta spoke on the home.

In February 1964 John Martin came for a series of meetings. In July he came as our new overseer to meet with the church council.

Paul Gingerich, who later became president of the Mennonite Board of Missions, was here in April 1965, with five foreign students attending EMC, to 'present a program.

The proposed budget for 1965 was $6,800!

In October 1966, Abe Minnich resigned as pastor.

In January 1967 Abner Miller of East Earl, PA, accepted the call to be the pastor at Holly Grove. He and Betty moved here in April, and were received as members and he as pastor inJune. John Martin was in charge of the service.

A farewell service was held in August 1968 for Dr Paul and Carol Yoder, who were leaving for a three year term as medical missionaries in Nepal.

While Holly Grove celebrated its 50th anniversary on July 19-20, 1969, the first astronauts landed on the moon. About 400 persons were here for the anniversary, from eleven, states and the District of Columbia. John Martin brought the morning message entitled "Bethel." The noon meal was served in a tent set up near Adam's Schoolhouse, which was then our fellowship hall.

Herman Glick, our overseer, was with us. He was our overseer most of the seventies into the late eighties, when David Stoltzfus was appointed as his replacement.

Nelson Lehman served the congregation as pastor until 1982, when he and his family moved back to Pennsylvania.

Later in 1982, Linford King became our pastor, and he and his wife Etta and two sons came to live in Princess Anne. They left in 1987 when Linford became the pastor at the Neffsville church in Pennsylvania.

In 1984.our WMSC was invited to and participated in the "Folk Life Week" at the Smithsonian Institutions in Washington, DC. They were also filmed for a TV program on the Public Broadcasting System.

Over the years, other news features were done by local TV programs. Some of these were Walter Hoppes' cane making, Sharon Stoltzfus about teaching, Lowell Stoltzfus on serving in the Maryland General Assembly as Delegate and now State Senator, and Bill King on hog farming. .

Jack Scandrett became pastor in 1988, and moved here from Colorado with his wife and three sons, first into Eugene Kurtz's "milkman's house," then to a house in Pocomoke. While serving here, they adopted two more children.

In 1988-89, a new sanctuary was built as the west wing of the original building. In both building projects in the 70's and the 80's, as I would suppose for all our church building projects, most of the work was donated by members of Holly Grove and friends. .

Two projects we hope to complete in the near future are remodeling of the Sunday School rooms and the rest rooms by the front entrance, and replacement of the carpet in the Fellowship Hall. A church sign is planned for the front lawn. More of the parking area is to be chipped and tarred, and landscaping is continuing.

Carol and Paul Yoder donated four trees in 1994, planted between the church and the Adams School House. These are in memory of Carol's aunts and uncles, Amelia and Fred Detwiler, Vernon Detwiler and Genevieve King.

Over the years, we have had numerous fund raising projects. For the piano fund, Nolan Good made a poster looking like piano keys. The piano keys were then sold in honor or memory of someone. Perhaps I can come up with one of those keys by the 100th anniversary!

By then, if I'm still around, I will probably be using one of those canes made by Walter Hoppes. Walter and Anna have been a part of our congregation for many years, and cannot be here today because of Walter's poor health. But Walter made a number of canes from local pieces of wood, and anyone who donated $100.00 or more could have a cane if they wished. Most of us residing here are well prepared for the day that a cane becomes necessary to our mobility!

There have also been breakfasts, western nights, strawberry festivals, pie auctions, and many other interesting projects.

In the past we have taken pledges to sponsor "The Mennonite Hour," "Heart to Heart," and "In Touch" on local radio stations.

WMSC sponsored Golden Age banquets, and they included many friends from neighboring churches. They held Youth, Mother and Daughter, and Father and Son banquets. The WMSC also made and sold many quilts.

Holly Grove has been part of community programs such as Thanksgiving, and the World Day of Prayer, with the Green Hill Church of the Brethren and the Rehoboth Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist Churches. The Princess Anne Episcopal Church hosts the annual Somerset County Christmas Program, in which we participate.