About

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Lowville Mennonite in the early 1900s.

The first Mennonite family to Lewis County, NY came from Europe in 1833 and settled in Croghan. The first organized congregation started meeting in homes in 1836. They met every other Sunday. The services were very long with several sermons, testimonies and singing.

In 1912, the first church building was erected at Croghan, NY, which still serves the present Croghan Mennonite congregation after a recent addition and renovation.

Earlier, in 1909, the first Mennonite family moved to the Lowville area. Other families followed and in 1913, a church building was bought at Rectors Corners and moved to our present site on the Ridge Road. The building was dedicated in January, 1914. Services were held every Sunday, alternating between Croghan and Lowville, called Dadville at that time. The congregation increased in numbers. Sunday School began in 1915 and evening services in 1933.

The small building at Lowville became overcrowded and a new building was built to replace the old one in 1934.

In 1949, Sunday School began at Pine Grove Community Church as a result of Summer Bible School. Later, regular preaching services were held.

In 1957, a Sunday School was started in Carthage, NY, followed by regular preaching services.

In 1963, a vacant church building in Naumburg, NY, was purchased from The Church of God and this became the place of worship for a new fellowship. This group was made up of members from the larger congregations of Lowville and Croghan. United, the groups functioned as one congregation with several buildings. In 1968, separate leadership was developed in the 3 churches, officially dividing into congregations.

The members of Lowville Mennonite Church gradually felt the need for larger and more suitable facilities to accommodate the Sunday School, Summer Bible School, Sewing Circle, and to provide a fellowship hall, nursery, library, etc. The plans were made, and on June 10, 1973 a remodeled building was finished and dedicated to the Glory of God.

This current building continues to be a welcoming place to all.

Statement of Doctrine

As a Mennonite congregation,

We Believe that the Bible is God’s written revelation of Himself to man. We believe that God unfolded His nature, His plan of salvation, and His will progressively so that in Jesus Christ the fullness of God dwells. Christ is the central figure of the Scriptures. The Old Testament looks ahead to His coming and must be interpreted in the light of his fullness. The New Testament describes and interprets the central event of Jesus as Lord in the Kingdom of God.

We Believe that throughout the Bible God was forming a people for Himself. He called and delivered them, made a covenant with them and disciplined them, and promised a new covenant in the future. God fulfilled this promise in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the coming of the Holy Spirit and the founding of the church made up of peoples of all the earth. We believe that those who call themselves Christians not only trust Christ as their Savior from sin but must become His disciples, walk with Him in daily life, and obey His teachings.

We Therefore Believe that the church is the body of Christ, His visible presence on earth; that the members of the church are called to serve one another in love, to practice forgiveness and peacemaking among friends and enemies alike, to preach the gospel of peace and to make disciples of all the nations.

Vision Statement

Foundational Core Values

  • Together, we seek to follow Christ in life.
  • Together, we interpret the Bible (the written Word of God to us) through the Holy Spirit and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
  • Together, we respond to Christ’s sacrificial love by participating in God’s mission. Through prayerful discernment we serve others, share the good news of Christ, make disciples, seek justice and practice peacemaking.

Mission

The mission of Lowville Mennonite Church is to be a compassionate community of believers who seek to live out Christ’s teachings in our daily lives.

Vision

At Lowville Mennonite Church persons are receiving the Good News of Christ, experiencing authentic community, growing in their spiritual lives and offering God’s healing and hope to a broken world.

Objectives

We seek to fulfill our mission and realize our vision through these objectives:

  • Presenting the Good News of the Gospel through Jesus Christ to those in the church and community.
  • Studying God’s Word together.
  • Worshiping in vital and meaningful ways and experiences.
  • Challenging preaching and teaching relevant to current living.
  • Promoting personal spiritual growth and commitment to a life of serving God and others.
  • Committing to a covenant relationship and mutual accountability with each other.
  • Ministering to the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of those within the church family, local community and the broader world by offering God’s healing, hope and reconciliation.
  • Managing all that God has entrusted us with, living lives of gratitude, stewardship and contentment, and offering our first fruits to God as an act of worship.