Eastern Mennonite University - Shenandoah Yearbook (Harrisonburg, VA)

Page 16 text:

A desire for the hills, streams, and mountains of Virginia which resembled their homeland as well as the possibility of cheaper land urged some Pennsylvania settlers to migrate to the Shenandoah Valley. With the exception of the Mill Creek Church, begun in 1738 near Luray in Page County, there were no Mennonite churches built for almost a hundred years. Instead, Mennonite families spent the Lord’s Day at one another’s homes, holding services and eating a common meal together. Virginia Mennonites worshipped in Mill Creek Meeting House, Luray. SHARED THEIR FAITH

Page 15 text:

Two other significant settlements were made along the Skippack and Pequea Rivers, thus establishing the cradle of Mennonitism in America. Here the rich limestone country shaded with sugar maple, hickory, and black walnut trees provided the setting for peaceful and prosperous rural life. These people had a concern for the propagation of knowledge. Christopher Dock, the “‘pious Mennonite schoolmas- ter on the Skippack,” wrote the earliest treatise on schoolteaching known in America. Above all there was a concern for the religious life of the people. At church and at home, both the young and the old were taught truth from the Bible and faith from their forefathers. ed ROI

Page 17 text:

When the city of Harrisonburg became the cen- ter of business life and trade, many Mennonites moved to Rockingham County, in the vicinity of Harrisonburg, and established a strong commu- nity. These hearty people, although few in number and somewhat removed from other Mennonite communities, contributed their share to the prog- ress of the church. The first English song book was printed by the hand press of Joseph Funk at Singers Glen. This inspired an interest in music which gave the church some of its most talented musicians. The service of pioneer evangelist John S. Coff- man, the establishment of missions in the Appa- lachian highlands, and the beginning of a church school also championed the growth of Mennonit- ism in America.