An integral part of academic life at Elizabethtown College, the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies fosters and promotes the study of Anabaptist and Pietist groups. Young Center staff, visiting scholars, and students conduct scholarly and interpretive investigations of the life, culture and beliefs of Anabaptists and Pietists, primarily in their North American context. The Center interprets the cultural and religious heritage of Anabaptist and Pietist communities to the general public via events such as lectures, seminars, and conferences.
Located near the college's Lake Placida, the Center, which is named for Galen S. Young, D.O., and Jessie M. Young, includes the Bowers Interpretive Gallery, a small bookstore, offices, research space, and a classroom. The adjoining Bucher Meetinghouse, named for Rufus P. Bucher, provides ample space for many of the Center’s programs. The Bucher Bookshop, located in the lobby, contains over 100 different titles on the Brethren, Brethren in Christ, Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites, and Moravians. The books range from scholarly studies to children's fiction.
The Young Center’s yearly activities include a spring and fall lecture series, an annual banquet, the Durnbaugh Lectures, and the Dale W. Brown Book Award. Staff members teach undergraduate classes for the college and conduct research related to the Anabaptist and Pietist movements. The Center also supports a fellows program and maintains a variety of research collections that are available to the public.
Contact Information:
Phone: 717-361-1470
Fax: 717-361-1443
E-mail: youngctr@etown.edu