WMCF (Formerly Meadville Mennonite) Plans Open House

According to Micah Zimmerman, the recent name change for the church located at 5726 Meadville Road, Gap, is twofold. The church - which was known as Meadville Mennonite Church since its inception in 1935 - became Welsh Mountain Christian Fellowship (WMCF) at the beginning of the year.

One of the reasons for the name change was confusion with a chapel located in Meadville, Pa. "I got a call from Allegheny College asking if they could put construction materials in our parking lot," recalled Zimmerman. "I said, 'You can, but we are four to five hours away from you.'"

Another reason is to identify the 40 congregation members as followers of Christ first. "Our Mennonite heritage informs our faith journey, but it doesn't limit who we actually are," explained Zimmerman. "(We are) identifying ourselves as followers of Christ, and we wanted the community to connect us to that. It's healthy to get outside the parameters and look at what we are really focused on."

Now, WMCF is inviting the surrounding community to visit the church and see its recently completed fellowship hall on Saturday, July 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. "Come see what's been built," said Zimmerman of the upcoming event. "We are hoping people will see options for the community for wedding receptions and other events," he noted, adding that the entire church building will be open, with a photo display focused on church history. "We will also hold a chicken barbecue," said Zimmerman.

WMCF, members of which are looking forward to celebrating a 100th anniversary in 10 years, began as an outreach effort in a nearby schoolhouse. Sister Mennonite congregations of Old Road, Hershey, and Kinzer held an afternoon Sunday school for the children of the Welsh Mountain. "It was very different here in 1935," noted Zimmerman, who added that the church is still part of LMC - A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches.

The current church building was constructed in 1950, with a basement dug beneath in in the 1980s and an elevator added since that time. A mobile unit at the back of the church was too expensive to repair, so in 2024, the church undertook the construction of a new fellowship hall, with doors and windows donated by Scenic Ridge Company of Lancaster. Large windows and doors in the hall allow for a scenic view of the surrounding countryside. "The goal was to have as much of a view as possible," stated Zimmerman, who added that the doors to the fellowship hall have become so popular few attendees enter through the front door anymore.

Zimmerman, who has pastored the church since 2005, noted that the calling tends to run in families. "My father is a pastor. I am a pastor. My older sister is a pastor, and my other sister is a children's pastor," he stated. To that end, two new associate pastors - Burt and Tana Hey - were just added to the WMCF staff. The Heys are members of the WMCF congregation, and Tana grew up in the church, the daughter of Glenn and Dorcas Martzall, who served as missionaries in Belize.

WMCF holds services at 10 a.m. each Sunday. The church offers fellowships for both men and women, and vacation Bible school will be held from Sunday, July 27, through Thursday, July 31, from 7 to 9 p.m. each evening. On Sunday, Aug. 24, the congregation will hold a special event called CONNECT. "This used to be called Retreat Day," stated Zimmerman, who said the focus of the event will be on connecting with the community, friends, and each other. The day will start with worship service at 10 a.m., followed by a fellowship meal and games outside the church afterward. The public is invited to attend and take part.

Readers who would like to know more about the church may visit http://www.welshmountainchristianfellowship.church or call 717-768-8555.