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The Mennonites, with Simon J. Ressler family in 1869, Samuel Nissley family in 1875, Amos B. Miller in 1876, and J. M. Swarr in 1877, began the southern exodus. That year Preacher Amos Herr in a Mechanic Grove shop had meetings and also in the Unicorn Baptist Church. With the support of these meetings a frame meetinghouse, 35' x 46' was erected on the present site, north of the village, for S 1700, free of encumbrances. This was opened for the public worship on April 13, 1882.
Bishop Isaac Eby and Amos Herr preached to an overflowing, ap-preciative audience. The Sunday School began thereafter with Jacob Swarr and Simon Ressler as superintendents and 75 present. The ministry was supplied until September 22, 1903, when John W. Swarr, Minister and Amos B. Miller, Deacon were ordained.
In the fall of 1906, A. D. Wenger held the first series of meetings in Lancaster Mennonite Conference at this place. T. K. Hershey, a long time missionary to South America, obtained some of his training here. With more people seeking the lower end of the county, the work grew slowly, except for the schism led by John W. Swarr. The Sun-day School meetings were enthusiastically supported.
The Sunday School and church grew, until by 1949 the meeting house needed extensive renovation. It was a part of the New Provi-dence-Mechanic Grove circuit. The present ministry is a part of the Willow Street-Strasburg District and includes Clayton L. Keener, Bishop: Paul B. Myer, J. Harold Brenneman, A. Clyde Hostetter, and Robert G. Keener, Pastors; and John H. Herr Jr., Deacon. They have a membership of 166, a Sunday School of 201 (average), a summer Bible school of 110 (average), and a District Winter Bible School of 130 (average).