In 1876, Eckert’s Church was established in the Gnadenau Village south of Hillsboro, Kansas.
The church would eventually take on the name “Ebenfeld,” in honor of the three acres of “even fields” donated by Abraham Cornelson to build a church building.
July 10-12, 2026, Ebenfeld MB Church held a celebration to honor its 150th anniversary as the first organized Mennonite Brethren Church in North America.
Plays, tours, memories
The weekend kicked off on Friday evening with a showing of the play “Upon This Rock,” written by Esther Loewen Vogt, which tells the story of the establishment of the Eckert Church and the tension between its early members. After the showing, ice cream floats were provided by the Fellowship and Connection Committee.
Saturday morning featured two tours, both offered at 8:30 and 10:30.
Peggy Goertzen led a tour of the church’s cemetery, highlighting the legacy of various leaders and members of Ebenfeld throughout the past 150 years, including Cornelson, a founding member and second lead pastor at the church.
The second tour, led by Joel Suderman, took a bus to many historic sites of the early Ebenfeld Church. One stop on the tour was the “Litke Farm,” home to a still-visible quarter mile stretch of the 12-mile trail that early immigrants would use to travel from the train drop-off in Peabody, Kansas, to the Ganadneau village.
Saturday afternoon featured another showing of “Upon This Rock.”
On Saturday evening, 225 attendees enjoyed a Verinke meal served alongside Hillsboro sausage.
Next, a service was held in the sanctuary to hear testimonies from some of those who have gone into ministry from Ebenfeld, including Clint Seibel, Lee Suderman, Jeremy Jordan, Christine Smith, Dena Braun, Nancy Rogers, Russ Claassen, Joye Klaassen Hofer and Nate Gift. After which, a dedication of the 150th plaque was made by Jeremy Jordan.
Sunday service honors past, looks to future
The Sunday morning worship service featured congregational singing, a mixed choir and a men’s chorus. The service also included memories and blessings from former and current pastors: Sig Polle (1967-1972), Richard Wieneke (1975-1980), Gaylord Goertzen (1988-2013), Jerred Unruh (2015-2017), Darren Rempel (2020-2023) and current pastor, Rick Eshbaugh.
This sharing time was a way to honor Ebenfeld’s past but also a time to look forward to the future.
“Ebenfeld is God’s special tree, which brings forth fruit in its season,” Goertzen said as he reflected on his time at Ebenfeld.
And like the tree, “Ebenfeld is a very resilient church,” Rempel remarked. “The season for bearing fruit is coming. Are we ready?”
After the service, attendees took a group photo on the church’s front steps and shared a faspa lunch in the fellowship hall. Following the lunch, more people shared memories from the past.
“Very proud and thankful for our history…”
The 150th anniversary committee, led by Kaylene Unruh, organized and planned the activities for the event.
“The weekend made us very proud and thankful for our history, how God has worked and his impact on lives over the years,” Unruh says.
Throughout the weekend, T-shirts, mugs, stickers, cookbooks and copies of The Miracle of Grace at Ebenfeld, written by Peggy Goertzen, were available for sale. Video recordings of each service from the weekend are available on the Ebenfeld YouTube page.
Videos of 150th anniversary activities
- Ebenfeld MB 150th anniversary: Missions and ministries night
- Ebenfeld MB 150th anniversary: Sunday service
- Ebenfeld MB 150th anniversary: Special memories
- Ebenfeld MB 150th anniversary: “Upon This Rock” showing
Cody Meyer is associate pastor of youth and discipleship at Ebenfeld MB Church, Hillsboro, Kansas. He is a 2024 graduate of Tabor College with a major in Adaptive Ministry Leadership and a minor in Communications. Cody credits his time at Tabor and his experience serving at Ebenfeld while in college and at Camp War Eagle, a children’s summer camp, as milestones in his call to ministry.
