PNMHS Annual Meeting
The PNMHS annual meeting and program on February 11th featured a presentation from Austin and Cherilyn Smucker who shared their experience of being held as hostages in Haiti for 62 days in 2021. They were two of the seventeen Christian missionaries who were kidnapped by the 400 Mawozo Gang after visiting a local orphanage in Port-au-Prince on October 16.
They shared a powerful story of God’s faithfulness through the many miracles that occurred during their captivity despite being held in spartan conditions. The groups’ constant reliance on prayer, scripture, and song sustained them until they were delivered and reunited with their families. Their presentation begins at the 13-minute mark of the recording at the link below.
On November 12 & 13, Portland Mennonite Church will celebrate 100 years since the first worship service was held at the Portland Mission. They would like to invite us to participate. PMC has also created a brand-new historical timeline that can be found by visiting their website at portlandmennonite.org and clicking on the link for the 100-year celebration.
If you have questions please contact Lin Rush at rushlin2@gmail.com
Thank you,
Lin Rush
We welcome visitors weekly on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As of March 16, wearing masks will be optional for those coming to the PNMHS Ivan and Pearl Kropf Heritage Center. Social distancing is possible for those who may be concerned with this guideline.
Appointments are convenient but not required.
Contact us at https://www.pnmhs.org/about/
Pacific Northwest Mennonite Historical Society
Where history (and your story) matter.
Ivan and Pearl Kropf Heritage Center
6030 South Whiskey Hill Road
Hubbard, OR 97032-9406
phone: 503-266-6447
The purpose of the Pacific Northwest Mennonite Historical Society [PNMHS] is to record and preserve the history of Mennonite and related groups for present and future generations. We serve the congregations and communities of the Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference. Our goals are to:
• collect, preserve and organize records, writing, and artifacts of Mennonite groups,
• aid historians and genealogists,
• increase interest in Mennonite history and genealogy.
more about PNMHS here | scroll down for more
Who are Mennonites?
Mennonites are a subset of the Anabaptist movement from the mid 1500s. Mennonites maintain strong unique positions on personal discipleship, “believer” baptism, separation of church and state, peace and justice, and non-involvement in military.
We sense that our mission is always counter-cultural because our allegiance to the Lord Jesus and the kingdom that he proclaims puts us in tension with the culture around us.
Menno Simons of the Netherlands was an early prominent leader and eventually the group became known as “Mennonites” because of his name.
Mennonites in America originally came from Switzerland, Germany, Holland, France, and Russia seeking religious freedom. The first permanent settlement was established at Germantown PA in 1683.
According to Mennonite World Conference, there are over 200 separate Mennonite “organized bodies” around the world, including 36 in the US and Canada.
PNMHS Library
The Pacific Northwest Mennonite Historical Library has a 3000+ volume collection including an extensive genealogy section and books authored by Mennonites. There are also books about Mennonite theology, issues and history. You are invited to visit our library (call for hours) or you may explore the collection by searching our online catalog that is updated regularly. Visit this page to learn more about our online library catalog.
PNMHS Archives
Preserving the past to illuminate the future…
Our more extensive collections have been sorted, organized and described according to Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) with their Finding Aids entered into Archives Space. These Archived Collections are stored in a climate controlled archives room and arranged in these categories: Personal, Congregation, Conference, Institution, and Miscellaneous. Our collection is a subset of the Mennonite Archival Commons Historical Archives located in Goshen, Indiana and Newton, Kansas.
We have numerous smaller, but equally interesting and important collections which you may view at this link.