Martindale Fellowship Center, 352 Martindale Road, Ephrata, will host a discussion of the history of Mennonites who immigrated to Lancaster County during Colonial times. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 30, at the Martindale Fellowship Center and is sponsored by the Swiss Pioneer Preservation Associates, a nonprofit organization.

The key speaker will be Allan A. Garber, who lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and is the author of "To God Alone the Honor: The Pioneer Immigrants of Lancaster County." He is a lawyer, an amateur historian and a genealogist who has been conducting research on this topic for over 40 years. Also speaking will be Amos B. Hoover, a historian from Ephrata and the author of numerous books, including "German Language: Cradle of Our Heritage," and John L. Ruth, a historian from Harleysville and the author of "Maintaining the Right Fellowship" and "The Earth Is the Lord's."

A key aspect of Garber's research is the investigation of primary source documents, such as wills, deeds, property tax records, Orphans Court records, written diaries, and family Bible records. An unusual source of primary information is the diary written by Moravian missionary Georg Hantsch, who visited many Mennonite homes in Warwick, Manor, Conestoga and Earl townships in 1748. The diary, which describes many scenes of everyday life in Colonial Pennsylvania, has been annotated for the first time by Garber.

Garber will also discuss the controversy about the presence of Hans Herr in Lancaster County, as well as some faith-promoting experiences of some of the pioneer Mennonite families. His presentation will include photographs of fraktur and other rare documentary records.

The program is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted to cover the cost of the event.

For more information, contact Carl Garber at 717-568-8385.