HOPEWELL MENNONITE CHURCH

45 S. 6th Street
Reading, PA 19602
610.373.3907

History:

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Hopewell Mennonite is a church that formed in 1981. Originally, they occupied a storefront at 12th and Perry streets. However, in 1982 they purchased the property on 6th Street. This property had a well-known history following its construction in 1853.

It was previously owned and built by Second United Church of Christ,  a congregation which has a long standing history in Reading.  In 1892, the church underwent a renovation to create a new interior. The windows in the sanctuary date to 1897 when the new building was being planned to house the Second Reformed Church. Then, in 1898, the church received a gift of Bavarian stained glass. The installation was created by a Reading firm, J.M Kase and Co. Kase also provided stained glass windows designed by local artisans that adorn the church's fellowship hall. In 1917, the front portion of the church was added.

During Hopewell Mennonite’s ownership of the building, the walls started to collapse. Structurally the roof was unsupported and the walls bulged even with new bracing added in the sanctuary. The congregation was unable to make the repairs in order to restore the church. Therefore, the church was condemned by the City of Reading in 2017.  

Alan Shuman, a property developer, purchased the church and began to restore it. Since acquiring the property, Shuman has added steel reinforcement for the walls, fixed broken water lines, and is completely redoing the rear portion of the first floor. In addition, he plans to have all of the stained glass restored. His plan is to convert the space into a wedding venue. However, he is also willing to rent out the space to congregations and other community programs.

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Congregation/Space:

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The church consists of a large sanctuary, fellowship hall, a few restrooms, and a nice sized parking lot. Currently, there are no congregations using the space for worship.

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Programs:

N/A