August 23, 2007
The new Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary, offices, library, music room, and nursery, as well as the renovated Community Center and new kitchen, will be dedicated Sunday morning, September 23. The 10:30 a.m. joint worship service with Hesston College, as part of A Hesston Homecoming Weekend 2007, will be held in the new sanctuary. The public is invited to attend.
The special service led by a variety of church and college persons will include a message by sisters Marilyn (Kauffman) Miller and Bonnie (Kauffman) Sowers. Miller, a 1955 Hesston Academy graduate and a 1957 Hesston College graduate, is a retired Mennonite pastor. An active member of Boulder (Colo.) Mennonite Church, along with her husband, Maurice, Miller serves on the Ministerial Committee for the Mountain States Mennonite Conference. Sowers, a 1965 Hesston Academy graduate and a member of the Hesston College Class of 1967, serves as director of Nursing and associate dean at the college. She and her husband Floyd attend Hesston Mennonite Church.
The sisters' extended family has been long-time members of Hesston Mennonite Church and part of the college family, too, since their father, Milo Kauffman, was president of Hesston College 1932-1951. He also served as pastor of Hesston Mennonite Church 1934-1940.
The new $4.56 million dollar structure includes a 650-seat sanctuary, which will be shared by the college for chapels, music performances, and other special events. The college is contributing 28 percent of the project costs, up to $1.25 million.
Construction on the new facilities began in April 2006. The first worship service in the new sanctuary was held March 18, 2007, and the first college chapel was held the next day (March 19). The former sanctuary was remodeled into a new Community Center (fellowship hall) and a new kitchen was added.
Meanwhile, installation of a new organ in the new sanctuary will begin in October, with a dedication service planned for January 20, 2008.
Wiens and Company Construction of Hutchinson is the general contractor of the project. The architect is Kelly McMurphy of Landmark Architects and Engineers of Hutchinson.