How it all started...
Many of the early settlers in northern Somerset County in Western Pennsylvania were Amish. These Amish families worshiped in homes until 1875, when the Kaufman Amish Meetinghouse was built in Davidsville, where the current Mason Funeral Home is located. Services at the Amish Meetinghouse were discontinued in 1915, and the building was torn down. In 1907, Amish and Mennonite families in the Davidsville area attended either Stahl or Blough Mennonite Church but decided they wanted a meetinghouse that was more centrally located. They purchased a three-acre plot of land from Daniel L. and Cassie Kaufman for the nominal sum of five dollars. The new congregation was named Kaufman because the land had formerly been part of the Kaufman farm. A building was soon erected for $4,000 and was dedicated in January 1909.
Expanding the vision...
In 2016, Kaufman’s membership voted to withdraw from Mennonite Church USA and become a partner church with the EVANA Network (Evangelical Anabaptist Network of Churches), which more closely reflects our understanding of what it means to live out our faith in obedience to Scripture and in relationship with one another.
Where we are headed...
Today, Kaufman continues to seek to be faithful to God’s call. Our current vision and strategy of:
- Cultivating Compassionate Hearts
- Cultivating a Discipling Community
- Supporting Fruitful Engagement in Ministry & Mission by All Members
