About Us
We are a welcoming Anabaptist congregation that meets for worship and fellowship, journeying together as followers of Jesus in Philadelphia
West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship (WPMF) grew out of a small Bible study group from Diamond Street Mennonite Church in the early 1980s that met in the home of Luke and Miriam Stoltzfus. This group had a vision for an internationally focused Mennonite Church in West Philadelphia. They agreed to be a core group for the emerging congregation and Diane Stitt was named as a church planter by the Franconia and Lancaster Mennonite conferences. Twenty-one people attended WPMF’s first worship service on July 1, 1984. David Greiser and Diane Stitt served as the founding pastoral team.
A small timeline of our growth at WPMF
At the center of Mennonite teachings is the need to believe in Jesus Christ as the one who died and rose from the dead in order that people could live in union with God. Mennonites believe that the life and teachings of Jesus guide our daily living. We believe that the church should keep Christ’s life and ministry alive in the world, just as though Christ was still living on earth. That’s why the church gets referred to as the “body of Christ.”
Mennonite Church USA uses “Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective” as its guide for beliefs. Copies of this short book are available in the church office. Feel free to discuss your faith questions with others, with Pastor Lorie, or with a member of the pastoral team.
Because we are human beings, we all sin: we commit wrongs, we don’t do the things we should, and we’re out of touch with God. In history, God sent Jesus Christ to the world so that all those who believe in Jesus Christ could receive forgiveness for their sins, as well as the gift of a whole life today and the promise of living forever with God. Taking part in a regular worship service enables Christians to respond to God with praise and thanks, and to live for Jesus through the week.
“In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Ro. 12:5, NIV). Mennonites feel that Christians need each other for encouragement and growth, for confronting one another in a supportive way, and for help in time of crisis. The church grows in faith, unity, service, and witness when it is a caring and loving community.
A church is strong when its members experience God’s love and are wholeheartedly committed to its purpose. For that reason, “believer’s baptism” is practiced to symbolize the decision of an adult to make a public commitment to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. In baptism the believer shows willingness to share the good news about Jesus by words and actions.
As disciples of Jesus, Mennonites try to live under Christ’s rule: for many this means loving the enemy and refusing to use violence or participate in military service, living peaceably with others at all levels, serving the poor and needy, and taking risks to work actively for justice and mercy.
Jesus Christ said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21, RSV). He sends the church to bring “good news” to all persons throughout the world. Jesus wants his followers to help each other. As Jesus put it, “The Spirit of the Lord … has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, … freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind” (Luke 4:18, RSV). Mennonites also believe it’s important to be concerned for both the “spiritual” and “physical” aspects of life.
“In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Ro. 12:5, NIV). Mennonites feel that Christians need each other for encouragement and growth, for confronting one another in a supportive way, and for help in time of crisis. The church grows in faith, unity, service, and witness when it is a caring and loving community.
The church tries to live in obedience to the Word of God — the Bible. Mennonites believe that God’s spirit, or “Holy Spirit,” helps the community of believers understand that Word. The life and teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Bible help in interpreting the meaning of the “Old Testament” part of the Bible: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:1 1, RSV). The Holy Spirit uses the written Word to give new life to the church and to help people grow in faith.
Open us to Your grace, O God, that we may grow as a joyful community of Jesus’ disciples who honor You in worship, seek Your presence daily, encourage each other in faithfulness, welcome others to life in Christ, and work for the shalom of the city. Amen
In April of 2012, our congregation embarked on a deliberate 6-month discernment process to clarify our position regarding sexual orientation and membership at WPMF.
Click here for more details: Discernment regarding Sexual Orientation and Following Jesus