METHACTON
OAK
According
to the Book “ A History of Worcester Township”
1976, on page 333, it states: “Among the very
old oak trees in Montgomery County is the Methacton
Oak, also referred to as the Charter Oak. Connected
with Methacton Mennonite Church is a tradition that
Revolutionary soldiers who died in the church building
when it served as a hospital, after the battle of Germantown,
were buried, not in the Church burial grounds, but just
outside the western wall, under a huge oak tree still
standing there”.
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According
to the dates in the Worcester book plus the years since the printing,
the tree is approximately 375 years old which takes it back
to 1634. To put that in perspective, William Penn was born
in 1644 and George Washington was born in 1732.
OUR
STORY
In
1739 the land was deeded to the Dutch Anabaptist Society for
5 shillings and thus begins the written record of the Methacton
Mennonite Church. The first Meetinghouse was built prior to
1771 although the exact date is unknown. A second Meetinghouse
was erected of stone in 1805 and used as a community school
and place of worship. The third and present Meetinghouse was
erected in 1873.
As
Mennonite families moved further north towards Souderton/Franconia
in the following centuries, Methacton Church began to be on
the fringes of the larger Mennonite community rather than
centrally located.
This
is its gift and its challenge. This church has always needed
to draw people from the local community, from the Worcester/Collegeville
area, to enable it to exist. It cannot exist on the constituency
of “ethnic Mennonites” because there are none
in the area. After being down to one member in 1943, a large
Summer Bible School program was begun in the 1940’s
and 50’s with the help of several families from the
Plains Congregation. Thus began a new era in the church’s
existence. Through this vigorous Summer Bible School outreach
in the 50’s and through the preschool (begun in 1958),
community people were drawn into the church and preschool
ministry.
Methacton
has never been one of the large Mennonite churches. It has
never been a church that could continue to exist on its past,
or its own strength of numbers. It has to exist because of
a mission purpose. It has always had to focus on outreach
and on God’s purpose for being here.
GOD’S
FUTURE/GOD’S PURPOSE FOR METHACTON
We
appreciate the help Methacton got from Plains in the 50’s,
but we’re now trying to reorient ourselves to our new
community of Worcester, Norristown, Collegeville etc.. Our
dream is of a gymnasium or community center that will double
as an accessible fellowship hall that can be used by all and
help us connect effectively with our neighbors.
We
have a diverse membership representing various ethnic, racial
and religious backgrounds. The common bond is a faith committed
to a disciplined life which is both meaningful and evident
in daily living. |
