Mennonite Historical Society set to close

A display of mid-20th century publications of the Mennonite Historical Society, including Mennonite Quarterly Review and the first five publications in the Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History book series, ca. 1946-1948. Image courtesy of the Mennonite Historical Library.

Members voted December 4, 2025 to wind down and close the Mennonite Historical Society (MHS), long-time publisher of Mennonite Quarterly Review.

During 2026, Mennonite Historical Society will conclude more than a century of promoting public understanding of Anabaptist-Mennonite history and contemporary Mennonite life and thought, with a mission that served the overarching goal of deepening commitment to Christian faith.

Noting a decade-plus pattern of diminishing access to volunteer energy, the MHS board is transitioning Mennonite Historical Society’s impactful initiatives to institutions eager to continue these efforts:

• Mennonite Quarterly Review and Conrad Grebel Review are merging to create a single open-access journal supported through a new collaboration between Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), Elkhart, Indiana; Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ontario; and Goshen College. The journal will be published by the Institute of Mennonite Studies at AMBS.
• Bluffton University continues the C. Henry Smith book series under Dr. Gerald J. Mast, editor, and a new name: C. Henry Smith Series in Anabaptist Culture and Thought.
• The Institute for Study of Global Anabaptism at Goshen College, under the directorship of Elizabeth Miller, continues the Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History book series.

Mennonite Historical Society invites all to join a Celebration of the Society’s work and impact on Saturday, March 28, 2026, 9am to 2pm on the campus of Goshen College, College Mennonite Church, South Fellowship Hall. Lunch will be provided.
RSVP via this link or by contacting Elizabeth Miller at Goshen College ([email protected] or 574.535.7418.)

Note: The operations of the Mennonite Historical Library (MHL) at Goshen College are not negatively impacted by the closure of MHS, as the MHL enjoys full staffing and continues to actively collect materials related to the Radical Reformation, Anabaptists, Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish, and other Plain groups.