The Mennonite Historical Society

The Mennonite Historical Society (MHS) at Goshen College, founded in 1921, was reorganized by the late Harold S. Bender in 1924 and has continued its work to the present.  See the “News” page to learn about MHS’s closure during 2026.

According to its constitution, “The mission of the Mennonite Historical Society is to promote public understanding of and interest in Anabaptist/Mennonite history and contemporary
Mennonite life and thought in order to serve the broader goal of promoting commitment to the Christian faith. The mission was pursued by encouraging and supporting scholarly
research, by publishing the results of such research, and by promoting the collection and use of source materials. The fruits of these efforts are extended through such activities as teaching, public programs, and exhibits.”

The MHS was sole publisher of the Mennonite Quarterly Review from the time of its founding in 1927 until 1993, when the MQR Publication Committee was created to give general oversight to the publication of the Review. The Publication Committee had equal representation from the MHS, Goshen College, and Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary. See

Mennonite Quarterly Review and Conrad Grebel Review are merging during 2026 to create a single open-access publication supported through a new collaboration between Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana, Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ontario, and Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana. January 2026 saw publication of the final issue of MQR. The new, merged journal will begin publication in late 2026 or early 2027. See the press release here.