Akt Folder 3 - Lapp, John E.

BOX 35 FOLDER 3 John E. Lapp John E. Lapp (1905-1988) was a prominent bishop in Franconia Mennonite Conference and often a member of church committees. Important for his relationship with Bender was his membership on the denominational Peace Problems Committee. {1} Postcard, John E. Lapp to Bender, November 26, 1958 [postmarked Lansdale Pennsylvania]: on dates for setting a PPC [Peace Problems Committee {of (MC) Mennonite General Conference}]; agreed with having Melvin Gingerich serve as Secretary until July 1, 1959. {2} TW0 ENTRIES John E. Lapp to Bender, February 4, 1958 [on stationery of Peace & Industrial Relations Committee of Franconia Mennonite Conference]: on when he could meet [likely for PPC––Peace Problems Committee {of (MC) Mennonite General Conference}]. P.S. a question about first printing of the Dortrecht Confession of faith. • • • REPLY, Bender to John E. Lapp, February 8, 1958: the “eighteen articles” [Dordrecht Confession] were printed in 1727, and.... {3} John E. Lapp to Bender, December 5, 1958 [on stationery of Peace & Industrial Relations Committee of the Franconia Mennonite Conference]: agreed on appointing G. F. Hershberger [Guy F. Hershberger, Guy Hershberger] to be Secretary of PPC [Peace Problems Committee {of (MC) Mennonite General Conference}; note––in 1965 the PPC and what had been the Hershberger-led Committee on Industrial Relations, renamed in 1951 as the Committee on Economic and Social Relations, would merge, to form the Committee on Peace and Social Concerns with Hershberger its Executive Secretary] .... {4} Copy, John E. Lapp to Guy Hershberger, June 16, 1960 []: about schedule of the PPC [Peace Problems Committee {of (MC) Mennonite General Conference}], apparently at Plains Mennonite Church, Lansdale Pennsylvania [Lapp’s congregation], and having a Committee member speak at Lansdale’s mid-week prayer service. cc: Bender. {5} Bender to John E. Lapp, October 5, 1960: enclosing an article Bender was submitting to Gospel Herald; it was about contributing for the Menno Simons Memorial Church at Witmarsum Holland, and why the Historical and Research Committee of (MC) Mennonite General Conference recommended responding; reference to letter of Bender to Paul Kraybill, Orie O. Miller, and Ira Buckwalter asking that Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities respond; that Franconia Mennonite Conference might also wish to respond. {6} TW0 ENTRIES John E. Lapp to Bender, January 10, 1961 [on stationery of The Plain Mennonite Church]: appreciated work of Bible Schools and seminaries training men [sic––gender], and Franconia Mennonite Conference would be needing some such men; but warned against the idea that every minister must be a seminary graduate...; concerned that “we” were seeing too many of our own young men “slip away” instead of returning to serve within Franconia conference; mention Irvin Detweiler and Kermit Derstine, and Bender correspondence with Richard Detweiler; about Franconia’s idea of establishing a city church; was enclosing a letter to Detweiler. • • • CONTIGUOUS, copy, John E. Lapp to Irvin Detweiler, January 10, 1961: reference to Detweiler’s “summer service” at Towamencin Mennonite Church; re a conversation among Lapp, Jonas Freed, and Ellis Mack re ordination in that congregation; no information yet from a ballot to the congregation; but assurance of “a very definite interest in your services”.... cc: Bender. {7} Copy, John E. Lapp to [U.S. President] John F. Kennedy, May 4, 1961 [on stationery of Franconia Mennonite Conference of the {MC} Mennonite Church]: on who the Conference was, etc.; special concern for “the people of Cuba”, to whom the Mennonite Church had been showing deep spiritual interest over the decade just past, and where “we” have baptized members––also where we did have 8 missionaries until “the present crisis”; concerns also for the wider world; praying for you, etc. {8} Bender to John E. Lapp, August 14, 1961: agreed with Guy F. Hershberger [G. F. Hershberger, Guy Hershberger] letter to you re “conversation with Billy Graham”; did not believe this was in purview of the I-W Board, but should be left to the MCC Peace Section and PPC [Peace Problems Committee {of (MC) Mennonite General Conference}]. cc: Hershberger. {9} Bender to John E. Lapp, September 21, 1961: informally telling Lapp that he was appointed to the I-W Coordinating Board of the Mennonite Relief and Service Committee [of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities]; other members––Ray Horst, John R. Martin, E. M. Yost [likely Earvey Megli Yost], and Atlee Beechy; understood that Lapp had not wished “to continue as coordinator”, instead will insist that a GCMC Mennonite would be appointed to that––but you may have to continue in that post for a while “in the light of the recent criticism from the” GCMC side.... {10} Bender to John E. Lapp, September 26, 1961: via C. J. Dyck, [Cornelius J. Dyck] had seen Lapp’s September 6 letter [not extant here] about plan for a communion service at Mennonite World Conference; Bender is here responding with a complex letter about how MWC was handling requests for such a service in light of groups who stood for close communion; and MWC at Kitchener Ontario would be handling it in a way similar to what had been done in Germany.... {11} John E. Lapp to Bender, December 7, 1961 [on stationery of Franconia Mennonite Conference of the {MC} Mennonite Church]: re Bender’s letter of November 22 [not extant here]––Richard Detweiler had spoken to Lapp about Kenneth Bender, a seminary student; Lapp planned to stop [apparently at Goshen] on January 12 and speak to Kenneth; James Lapp, my son, had spoken about John Nyce of Doylestown Pennsylvania; at Salford Mennonite Church on past Sunday Willis Miller had been ordained, having been chosen by lot––he an EMC graduate [Eastern Mennonite College, later Eastern Mennonite University (EMU)]; bit of comment.... {12} Memorandum, Bender to John E. Lapp, Melvin Gingerich and Edgar Metzler, February 20, 1962 [re “Assignment to Sub-Committee” made up of the above recipients––i.e. “Sub-Committee on PPC - CESR Relationship”]; [see above at December 5, 1958]; mandating that the sub-committee give a report on their assigned subject, at next meeting of PPC [Peace Problems Committee {of (MC) Mennonite General Conference}]; a ten-point list of matters, suggesting what the report would cover. {13} John E. Lapp to Bender, July 16, 1962 [on stationery of Franconia Mennonite Conference of the {MC} Mennonite Church]: on behalf of Franconia conference executive committee, a full-page, single-spaced letter of encouragement to Bender[ in light of what would be his terminal illness].