The Mennonite Historical Society, a group dedicated to the study of Anabaptist-Mennonite history and contemporary Mennonite life and thought is set to close permanently this summer. The decision was finalized after a vote from members in December.

The similarly-named, yet unrelated, Mennonite Historical Library, located on the third floor of the Harold and Wilma Good Library, is unaffected by the closure and will continue to serve those studying Anabaptist-Mennonite history and culture.

The Mennonite Historical Society has been a fixture on campus since 1921. In 1924, Harold S. Bender, who would later become the college’s dean, reorganized the group to take a more active role on and off-campus. It grew rapidly, becoming an internationally recognized and professional society. 

Another major change came in 1927. “One of the very first publication initiatives that the Mennonite Historical Society started was Mennonite Quarterly Review, which eventually became a renowned journal focused on Mennonite history and thought,” said Elizabeth Miller, an assistant professor of history at GC and the director of both the Mennonite Historical Library and the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism.

MQR will be ceasing publication under its own name and current publishers. Since 1993, MQR has been a joint project between the society, GC and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart. As part of the decision, MQR will merge with the Canadian journal Conrad Grebel Review, which is currently affiliated with Conrad Grebel University College in Ontario, Canada. The new publication, which has not yet officially been named, will be an open-access journal, covering both Anabaptist-Mennonite historical studies and religious thought.

Miller says the goal of the new format is to be more accessible, especially to international readers.

The Mennonite Historical Society currently publishes two book series: the C. Henry Smith Series and Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History. Both will continue to be published.

The C. Henry Smith Series is already primarily the responsibility of Bluffton University, which will continue to collaborate with Herald Press and Cascadia Publishing to publish and release the books.

Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, the significantly older and more expansive of the two series, will be published by GC’s Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism.

Grants which would usually be awarded by the society do not have a direct successor. Several proposals for how to reallocate those funds have been made, but none have been approved yet.

Miller says that the decision to close the society was made after ongoing conversations over a number of years. The society had long been a place for discussion of Anabaptist and Mennonite studies, and questions were raised as to whether the organization was the right place for those conversations. In the end, Miller said, the group decided “It’s maybe better to let new forms come forward.”

Additionally, “There have been a lot of changes in the field of Mennonite history and Mennonite studies that has affected some of the ways that the society is able to operate,” Miller said. 

Despite the abrupt announcement of the closure, made only half a year before the actual ceasing of the society’s operations, Miller said, “We do not just want Mennonite Historical Society to fade away into the night. We want to celebrate all that it has achieved over the years, and the impact that its work will continue to have.”

This celebration will be held on Saturday, March 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall at the Church-Chapel. There will be a number of speakers to talk about the history of the society, and a panel of former board members and editors.

Students can register online to attend the event. Lunch will be provided.