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 Twenty-five years ago, a group met in the Spring-Ford Rescue Squad building at Penn and Bridge streets, Spring City, to form a new Mennonite congregation. This weekend, Spring City Fellowship Church celebrates its silver anniversary.
The weekend’s activities begin with a free pancake breakfast for the neighborhood on Saturday, 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. According to church secretary Vicki Deitrick, the breakfast is a means of reaching out and thanking the community for its support over the years.
During the breakfast, a bake sale will also be held to benefit the youth camp.
Saturday at 6 p.m. a reception with light refreshments is planned, to be followed at 7 p.m. by a celebration service. The speaker will be Pastor Lester Zimmerman from Petra Christian Fellowship, part of the Hopewell Network.
The celebration concludes during the 10 a.m. anniversary worship service on Sunday.
The Spring City congregation, formed on June 7, 1981, was the very first outreach church formed as a branch of Hopewell Mennonite Church, Elverson, explained Pastor John Shantz. The church moved to its current location in the spring of 1984.
Shantz was part of that initial group, then went to Reading to help start the Hopewell church there. In November 1985 he moved on to Bernville to help form that Hopewell congregation, and in April 1986 he was called to serve in Spring City.
About six years ago, Shantz explained, the Hopewell Network was commissioned and released from the Mennonite denomination due to differences in the main thrust of their ministries.
The new network of 14 churches have an evangelistic thrust, he noted, and the local churches suddenly found themselves involved in international ministry. The Hopewell Network connected with a network of 22 churches in Haiti. In addition, connections have been formed or are in the works in Guatemala, Mexico, Thailand and some African countries, Shantz noted, commenting that there are “a lot of things happening” internationally.
When the Hopewell Network separated from the Mennonite denomination, Shantz said, the churches realized they did not want to be independent with no authority structure. “It’s important to not be a lone ranger,” he remarked, stressing the need to be accountable both in what is taught and in lifestyle issues.
“It’s been an interesting journey,” he said.
Shantz’s own journey began nearly 30 years ago, on Jan. 20, 1977. He and his wife Sandra, who were then operating the Elverson Hotel, became Christians. Their conversion was so remarkable, he said, that the West Chester newspaper ran an article about them, the Associated Press asked to use the story internationally, and Evening Magazine did a television segment. Many were skeptical that the conversion would last.
In October 1977, the Shantzes closed the bar at the hotel, realizing that running a bar was not in keeping with the Christian life. At that time, they “had no idea of ever going into pastoral ministry.”
But enter ministry they did, and they have now served for 25 years. Shantz noted that his wife is the church coordinator at the Spring City congregation and is “an excellent counselor and Biblical teacher.” Sandra Shantz conducts ladies’ seminars.
Spring City Fellowship features contemporary music, Deitrick noted, and the worship leader plays the guitar. When a drummer is available, drums are also included in the worship.
The church offers youth activities, health seminars and friendship nights. A couple times a year the church ministers at Parkhouse, the Montgomery County geriatric center. The church also holds fellowship meals the third Sunday of every month, with a covered dish dinner served after the morning worship.
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