About Us

Pastoral Welcome

Welcome to Akron Mennonite Church.  As an Anabaptist-Mennonite faith community, we seek to see and join God’s work in the world by finding creative and practical ways to live as followers of Jesus and share God’s healing and hope in our community and beyond.  It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, or where you have been, you are welcome to join our community.

— Rachel Nolt, Pastor

Worship Schedule

9:30am
Worship

10:30 – 11:30am
Children & Youth Formation

10:30 – 10:45am
Coffee/Tea Fellowship & Community Life

10:45 – 11:25am
Adult Formation

About Mennonites

The Mennonite (Anabaptist) faith movement began in Europe in the 16th Century when a small group of believers challenged the reforms of Martin Luther and others during the Protestant Reformation, saying they were not radical enough and calling for adult rather than infant baptism. In 1525, several members set themselves apart from the official church by publicly declaring their faith in Jesus Christ and re-baptizing each other.

Mennonite Church USA is one of nearly 20 formally organized groups of Mennonites in North America that vary in lifestyle and religious practice but all stem from the Anabaptist movement. Though their streams of faith may differ, Mennonite groups hold common beliefs:

  • Jesus Christ is central to worship and to everyday living.
  • Behavior is to follow Christ’s example.
  • The Bible is considered the inspired word of God.
  • Membership continues to be voluntary, with adult baptism upon declaration of faith.

Mennonites are known for their peace stand, taken because they believe Jesus Christ taught the way of peace. Most members choose not to participate in military service. Some take their belief further by objecting to government military expenditure; a few choose not to pay the percentage of their annual income tax that would go for military purposes.

Mennonites are also known for their strong commitment to care for one another; interest in social issues; voluntary service to those who have experienced hardship or disaster; and missional outreach.

See also: http://thirdway.com/mennonites/mennonite-values/

History of Akron Church

AMC was founded on October 4, 1959 by 89 adults and their children.  They had been attending the Monterey Mennonite Church some 15 miles away and wanted to have a congregation in the same community where they worked and lived.  For some the work was at the Mennonite Central Committee and for others it was in the businesses that they owned in Akron.

As word of AMC spread through the national church community persons moving to this area were quick to join this new and dynamic congregation.  Some were engaged in various professions and others in trades.  A smaller number of the early joiners were from the Lancaster Mennonite Conferences.  AMC belongs to the Atlantic Coast Mennonite Conference and to Mennonite Church USA.

From the beginning, the defining dynamic of the church was to live simply and to identify with the larger Mennonite denomination theology, especially its’ perspective on peace and justice.  There was, and still is, a broad diversity in the ways Anabaptism is practiced at AMC.  Many of the members have come from other parts of the country and Canada. In recent years persons from other countries have become active members.  Racial diversity, though, is minimal although much attention is given to finding solutions for racism locally and the broader world.  That is important to many members who have lived in other countries and are committed to the personhood of all.  Average attendance on Sunday morning is approximately 200. Just as AMC was once a “daughter church” it has also given birth to 2 congregations, Pilgrims Mennonite nearby and Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster.

Vision Statement

Akron Mennonite Church will be fully engaged in God’s mission in a broken world as we are called, equipped and sent by the Holy Spirit to follow Christ in life. Shaped by the gifts and vision of our members, we will keep Christ and church at the center of our lives as we reach out to neighbors near and far and witness to the world around us and through an Anabaptist-Mennonite expression of faith.

Safe Church Policy

Akron Mennonite Church has a Safe Church Policy to equip adults to keep children safe from sexual abuse.  Policy guidelines are available upon request.

Statement on Human Sexuality

We are a community of believers seeking to respond with God’s love to all people. We celebrate the strength of our unity in the midst of our diversity of experiences, perspectives and understanding of Scripture. We seek to be a community of grace and reconciliation and so welcome into membership all who confess faith in Jesus Christ, including those in same-gender covenant relationships. We are committed to engaging in God’s mission in a broken world through an Anabaptist-Mennonite faith perspective.

We belong to

Mennonite Church USA
http://mennoniteusa.org/

Atlantic Coast Conference
http://atlanticcoastconference.net/

Mennonite World Conference
https://mwc-cmm.org/