Mountain View Mennonite Chapel

(Formerly Woodland)

Mountain View Mennonite Chapel had its beginning in 1941 when the Locust Grove congregation at Belleville opened a Sunday school in a community of about fourteen families, called Woodland, two miles west of Milroy, Mifflin County, PA. Bishop John L. Mast and his fellow minister, John Zook, enlisted the help of Frank Rhodes and secured permission from the Brown Township school board to use the Woodland schoolhouse for Sunday school.

Sunday school began in August of 1941 with Harvey J. Miller serving as superintendent. Ministers from Locust Grove preached occasionally. Later, preaching services were held every two weeks.

The Millers built a house at Woodland and lived there until 1951 when they were called to Europe as missionaries. In 1952 the school building was purchased from the school board and renovated for worship purposes. Among those who led the Sunday school after the Millers lift were the Jacob P. Yoders and the Moses A Yoders. From 1954-6, Preacher John Zook of Locust Grove served as pastor. Several families were received as members but until 1957 they were considered members of Locust Grove, rather than Woodland.

On April 14, 1957, Ivan E. Yoder was ordained to serve as pastor at Woodland. In October of that year Woodland was organized as a separate congregation with forty-six charter members. Also that year, the building was enlarged and a furnace installed. On October 12, 1958, Elam C. Peachey was ordained as preacher to assist at Woodland. In 1966 the church building was again enlarged.

In February of 1975, the congregation moved into a new meetinghouse near Reedsville and took the name of Mountain View Mennonite Chapel. On April 27, 1980, Jonathan Yoder was ordained as full-time pastor and Ivan E. Yoder was released for itinerant ministry. The congregation has made a special effort to reach the unsaved in the community through "friendship evangelism". Concerned members seek to present the gospel to unsaved relatives and friends.

In 1983 the membership was one hundred and fifty-five. The ministry consisted of preachers Elam C. Peachey and Jonathan Yoder with Erie Renno as bishop.

(From the History of the Conservative Mennonite Conference 1910-1985, by Ivan J. Miller)

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