As followers of Jesus Christ our story begins with the story of the Bible, our scripture.

The more particular Anabaptist story begins in January, 1525, during the early years of the Protestant Reformation, when a group of young adult believers were secretly and voluntarily rebaptized, a capital crime at that time. They held that the Bible, rather than the government authorities, was the sole and final authority for the church. Menno Simons was an early prominent leader and eventually the group became known as “Mennonites” because of his name.

The Williamsburg Mennonite Church sanctuary we use today was built a baptist sanctuary in Norfolk. In the early 1900s, it was dismantled and barged across the James River and further transported by horse and buggy to its current location. Today, you can view seven of the stained glass windows in the church that are original to the building. At that point, a Lutheran congregation called this church home.

Our particular congregation had its beginnings in 1976. Several families with young children, then living in the Hampton Roads area, wanted to move to the more open spaces of James City County. These families were the charter group for the present church. The group met to worship in the Parish Hall of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Norge, Virginia. This building still serves the present congregation, with an addition for Christian Education classrooms and a fellowship hall. We treasure the faithfulness of our spiritual ancestors and also realize the challenge of passing on the faith to the next generation.

For more see Mennonite History.