A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

not only the largest Mennonite congregation in California, but also the largest church in the North American Mennonite Brethren Conference. Present (1971) baptized membership stands at one thousand three hundred and thirty-five. Serious tensions over questions of church policy and discipline led to a withdrawal of one hundred and fifty-five members in 1925. - This group organized as the South-Reedley M.B. Church under the leadership of J. H. Richert. The congregation met in a hall south of Reediey for a number of years but relocated to Dinuba in 1937 where a large church was built in 1939. This congregation has a MENNONITE BRETHREN COME TO THE UNITED STATES 147 membership (1971) of four hundred ninety. 53 The majority of the members in both the Reedley and Dinuba congregations are engaged in farming or related occupations. Coming largely from the "wheat belt" of the Midwest, they had to adjust to a new climate and environment. The land, which had to be irrigated, was not suitable for raising wheat and corn, but was ideal for growing grapes and fruits of many varieties. The raisin industry of this area has become world-famous and Reedley is sometimes referred to as the "raisin capital" of the world. Very early in their history the churches of this area, concerned for the spiritual welfare of their young people, arranged Bible classes for those of high school age. Eventually these efforts resulted in the establishment of I mmanuel Academy — a Christian high school." A number of churches were also established in Southern California during this early period. In 1904 Mennonite Brethren families arrived in Escundido, near San Diego, and formed a congregation in 1905. Due to a lack of leadership and economic difficulties, this church was dissolved after 1921. Most members left for places farther north and settled in Kern County in the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley. In this area the Rosedale M. B. Church was organized in 1909, Bakersfield in 1910 and Shafterm 1918. North of Fresno churches were established at Lodi (1912), Fairmead, now Madera (1919), Winton, now extinct (1922) and in Orland (1923). The Krimmer Mennonite Brethren established only one church in California, organized in 1917 near Dinuba as the Zion K. M. B. Church. This congregation joined the Mennonite Brethren Conference in 1960 at the time of the merger. During the post-war period there has been a definite trend in California toward establishing city churches, reflecting on the one hand the shift of the M.B. population from rural to urban areas, and on the other a growing vision and concern in the brotherhood to reach the unchurched and unevangelized masses of metropolitan areas. The first city church was organized in Los Angeles in 1924. Contrary to the experience in most other cities where Mennonite Brethren have established congregations, the church here did not grow as rapidly as could have been expected. One reason