File Folder 3 - Horst, Amos

BOX 34 FOLDER 3 Amos Horst Amos S. Horst (1893-1963) lived at Akron, Pennsylvania. A 1943 book (Who’s Who Among Mennonites) lists Horst as having some education beyond public school and as holding many posts at the district conference level of church leadership in the USA’s East––many in the Lancaster Mennonite Conference and at least one in the Washington-Franklin Mennonite Conference; his Gospel Herald obituary declares that he was “devoted to evangelistic meetings, CPS visiting, and the Peace Problems Committee” [“CPS” meaning “Civilian Public Service”, the U.S. government’s program for conscientious objectors in World War II]. {1} Amos S. Horst to Bender, December 5, 1958 [Amos Horst at Akron Pennsylvania]: had Bender letter re appointing Guy F. Hershberger as Secretary [likely Executive Secretary] of the Peace Problems Committee [of (MC) Mennonite General Conference; PPC; Guy Hershberger, G. F. Hershberger]. {2} Amos S. Horst to Bender, October 27, 1960 [Amos Horst at Akron Pennsylvania]: idea that many church brethren were ill prepared for peace regarding politics; four years ago Horst had written a “friendly letter” to the sick president [surely meaning U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt]; suggested the Peace Problems Committee [of (MC) Mennonite General Conference; PPC] should watch for chance to do something similar; personal news...; on question of whether Mennonite Central Committee [MCC] should support peace efforts overseas, Horst’s thinking that the peace message should be part of the church’s evangelism and so such efforts should be left to workers on the field. {3} Bender to Amos S. Horst, November 4, 1960 [to Amos Horst at Akron Pennsylvania]: re Horst’s understandable absence from yesterday’s PPC meeting [Peace Problems Committee {of (MC) Mennonite General Conference}]; Paul Kraybill had served as Horst’s proxy; Orie O. Miller and J. B. Martin also were absent [O. O. Miller, Jesse B. Martin]––therefore much business left for next meeting, February 24-25 in Chicago. {4} Amos S. Horst, December 29, 1961 [to Bender as PPC chairman [Peace Problems Committee {of (MC) Mennonite General Conference}]; Amos Horst at Akron Pennsylvania]: resigning from PPC as of next meeting, May 1962; would remain interested.... [another page, evidently as a P.S]: reasons having to do with assignments he had locally [seems mainly to have meant posts with Lancaster Mennonite Conference....] {5} Amos S. Horst, no date but handmarked “ca [sic] end of Aug. 1962”; Amos Horst at Akron Pennsylvania]: a cordial letter obviously written following Mennonite World Conference in Ontario to console Bender in Bender’s final illness.