In the early morning of Aug. 16, 1874, Krimmer Mennonite immigrants arrived in sweltering Peabody, Kansas. After a long trip from the Molotschna Colony (present day Ukraine), the families came to settle and establish what would be called Gnadenau Krimmer Mennonite Church.
One hundred and fifty years later to the day, members of the same congregation, now known as Parkview MB Church, began their weekend commemoration on a similarly warm weekend, celebrating God’s faithfulness.
Coming to Kansas
The Gnadenau Village and church was established 13 years after Kansas became the 34th state in the Union and five years before the city of Hillsboro was incorporated. Ulysses S. Grant was the U.S. president.
Birthed out of a group known as the Kleine Gemeinde, a small Mennonite denomination founded in 1812 in Russia, the Krimmer Mennonite denomination was formed in 1869. The name “Krim” is the German name for Crimea, the region in which they lived.
This group took Scripture seriously and given the rising tension with political leaders, they followed the Lord’s leading from their homes in the Molotschna Colony, by boat to New York, through Elkhart, Indiana, to Peabody, Kansas, and 14 miles northwest to barren pastureland that would become Gnadenau Village, “Meadow of Grace.”
Their first church building was constructed in the center of the village and formed with adobe walls and a thatched roof. It would be replaced in 1876 with a framed building that would better withstand the Kansas weather. Eighteen years later, in 1895, the church moved a few miles to the west, on what is known as the 13-mile road and erected a new building. Just one and a half miles south of Hillsboro, the church flourished in the new building.
In the late hours of Dec. 24, 1956, following the church’s annual Christmas Eve program, Christmas carolers discovered the church on fire. This would be a pivotal moment in the history of the congregation. Choosing to rebuild and move their house of worship onto South Main in Hillsboro, the church and church building continued to expand over the years into what it is in the present day.
Celebration highlights promises
The theme for Celebrate 150! was “Standing on the Promises,” chosen in part from the passage in Romans 4:20-21. “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
Celebrate 150! kicked off Friday evening, Aug. 16, with “Reflections of God’s Grace” by current and former lead pastors and their spouses. Tim and Donna Sullivan (1990-2004), Steve and Penni Schroeder (2004-2016) and Tom and Nicole Byford (2018-present) shared, in a question-and-answer panel format, on topics including what brought them to Parkview, highlights of their time and personal growth during that time. Following the program, the sanctuary full of people visited over desserts and traditional peppernuts.
Throughout the weekend, visitors had the chance to view and interact with an expansive timeline that covered the walls of the youth room. Viewers could add sticky notes with events and dates that could then be added to the wall. Various pieces of memorabilia filled tables, including the original communion trays and a folding chair that both survived the fire in 1956. A slideshow of photos spanning the last 150 years also entertained the audience.
Saturday mid-morning, nearly 150 people trekked the one and a half miles south and half a mile east of town to the original village site to hear the history from church member Mel Flaming, who talked about why and how the original settlers landed in Marion County. Former visitation pastor and descendant Tim Shellenberg shared a first person narrative of his great grandfather, an early church leader, giving listeners a peek into what life was like in the 1800s.
From the original Gnadenau Village site, the tour continued southwest to what is now the Gnadenau Church Cemetery, the former site of the Gnadenau MB Church. Pastor Tom Byford led the group in dedicating the recently erected gazebo and other cemetery improvements.
Visitors then were treated to four first-person narratives of important figures in the history of the church, affectionately called “Talking Tombstones.” Carey Johnson portrayed his father William Johnson, James Isaac his grandfather David V. Wiebe, Andrew Jost his grandfather Menno B. Jost and Sheri Stanley, her great grandmother Agnetha Flaming Jost. These accounts of early church members were chronicled snapshots of what life was like in various stages of Parkview Church’s history. To read these stories and others visit https://parkviewmb.com/our-history/.
Following the tour, a free bierock and watermelon lunch was hosted at the MB Foundation conference center, just blocks from Parkview Church.
Saturday was capped off with the Celebrate 150! Banquet, held in the church’s Activity Center. A traditional meal of verenika, sausage, green beans, zwiebach and cherry moos was served. Paul Epp led attendees in a vorsaenger, which means “one who sings before.” A tradition from the early days of the church where someone would sing a stanza or phrase from a song and the congregation would repeat it. Two music groups, a men’s quartet and a women’s trio, delighted listeners. Dwight Friesen shared a message of grace and encouragement to finish the night.
The celebration finished Sunday with a worship service filled with singing, prayer and looking to the future. A stage full of people gathered during the service for a group photo. Following the service, a potluck was held to celebrate the weekend.
Celebrating 150 years of how God has led and blessed his church will leave lasting memories for all who attended.
Michael Klaassen is the digital content manager at Tabor College as well as the college photographer. He attends Parkview MB Church, Hillsboro, Kansas, where he volunteers with the high school youth group.
