Funding From Kahle-Austin Foundation Makes Holdeman History Book Free to Read
The Holdeman People, by Clarence Hiebert, is widely regarded as the gold standard for the study of Church of God in Christ Mennonite’s history. It also provides a fascinating look at issues within the church in the years leading up to the 1974 mass excommunications. Now, thanks to funding from the Kahle-Austin Foundation, the book is available as a free-to-read eBook as part of Archive.org’s library.
In part one of the 662 page book, the late Clarence Hiebert explored in depth the European and American historical background of the organization. Then, he delved into the John Holdeman era, exploring the merging of numerous groups to create what we now know as the Holdeman People, Church of God in Christ Mennonite, and the influence of the Kleine Gmeinde people on Holdeman customs and dress. Finally, he brought readers up to date(early 1970s) on what was going on in the church, noting that young people were beginning to push against authoritarian leadership.
On September 14, 2022, the book was made available to the public as a part of Archive.org’s initiative, funded by Kahle-Austin Foundation, to catalogue obscure books and make them available to the public.
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