The History of Our Church

On January 6th, 1905 a group elders met to establish the Cordell Mennonite Brethren Church. Most of the members of this church had been attending the Mennonite church in Corn, but, due to the difficulties of traveling, particularly that of crossing theWashita River, they wanted a church in their own community. The charter membership consisted of 35 people. By June16, 1906, God had enabled them to construct a building for their services. They dedicated the building to Him with the understanding that faith would be taught there, and handed down to the generations that followed. Since that time the church has been through several building changes, and has moved from the country to its current location in the town of Cordell. Many people have met Christ within these walls and many have gone from here to take His message to other parts of the country and of the world.

Our goal today is the same as that of the original founders: Everything for Christ.

Older History of The Mennonite Brethren as a Denomination

Nearly five centuries ago, during the Protestant Reformation, many priests began to study the Bible diligently and experienced a personal spiritual renewal. One of these priests was Menno Simons. He identified with a group of Christians, called Anabaptists, who felt necessary a personal conversion experience through faith in Christ. They believed in: separation of church and state, adult baptism, a free exercise of the conscience, and the church as a fellowship of genuine believers who demonstrate love for each other.

This radical faith resulted in persecution for the Anabaptists and many were martyred for their beliefs. Menno Simons encouraged these Christians in their faith. He defended them in sermons and published pamphlets explaining their way of life and what they believed. Those he lead and encouraged eventually became known as "Mennonites".

During the 17th and 18th centuries, because of persecution in Europe, many Mennonites fled to other parts of the world. Some came to the United States and Canada. Many others fled to Prussia and then Russia, where they had been promised religious freedom.

In 1860 a group of Russian Mennonites desired a spiritual renewal. They met for Bible study,  fellowship and prayer, calling themselves simply: The Brethren. They stressed that the Bible was the only standard of faith and practice, emphasizing genuine conversion and an inner spiritual experience with Christ. They were, from the beginning, keenly aware of their responsibility to carry a message to the unregenerate as taught in the Commission that Christ left for His followers.

In the late 1800's and early 1900's, changes in the Russian government brought persecution and forced some 15,000 Mennonite Brethren to seek a new home. They fled through China and India to countries that would accept them in North and South America. Most of those who arrived in the United States settled west of the Mississippi in Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. These pioneers wanted to maintain unity in doctrine and practice and provide for fellowship with each other, so they organized a conference of churches in 1879 to carry out common ministries and sponsor evangelism.

The Mennonite Brethren Church has grown to include around 212,000 believers in 20 countries of the world. That cultural diversity is also reflected in this country. In the United States, over half of our churches speak a language other than English. As Mennonite Brethren, we believe that every child of God is equal before Him and is loved with the same intensity.