Abbeydale Christian Fellowship (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)
Forest Lawn Evangelical Mennonite Church began services in 1971 through outreach by the Evangelical Mennonite Conference (EMC). Abe and Loretta Giesbrecht were the founding church planters. They arrived in 1971 and served until 1972. They were joined by Dave and Lydia Dueck in 1972. Sunday school was held in the Giesbrecht residence, and the first services were held at Penbrooke Meadow Elementary School. Other sites in the early years included Ukrainian Hall in Albert Park, Forest Lawn United Church, and West Dover Elementary. On 19 September 1974 the church was formally organized with 12 charter members. By 1977 attendance had reached 75.
In 1981 the church began meeting at Forest Lawn High School and the name of the church was changed to Forest Grove Evangelical Mennonite Church. In that same year the church concluded its dependence on the EMC Mission Board for financial support. In 1985 the church purchased two acres and construction was completed on a sanctuary in 1988. The name of the church was changed in that year to Abbeydale Christian Fellowship.
In February 2000 a new addition to the existing building was dedicated.
Rod Reimer, Garth Koop, Trevor Plett, Martha Burrell-Fandrich, Trevor Plett, and Shane Dell have served as Assistant and Young Life pastors.
Bibliography
Abbeydale Christian Fellowship. "A Brief Time Line of Abbeydale Christian Fellowship." Web. 25 March 2012. http://www.abbeydale.org/.
Dick, Brenda. "New year, new beginnings." The Messenger (March 2012): 19.
Mennonite Reporter (6 January 1974): 10.
Messenger (10 June 1988): 6.
Additional Information
Address: 1352 Abbeydale Drive SE, Calgary, AB T2A 7L8
Phone: 403-273-6222
Website: Abbeydale Christian Fellowship
Denominational Affiliation:
Evangelical Mennonite Conference (1974-present)
Abbeydale Christian Fellowship Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Abe Giesbrecht | 1972-1972 |
| Dave Dueck | 1972-1979 |
| Dave Thiessen | 1979-1988 |
| Charles Koop | 1989-2004 |
| Levi Smoker (interim) | 2004-2005 |
| David Funk | 2005-2014 |
| Chris Hughes | 2012-present |
Abbeydale Christian Fellowship Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 12 |
| 1975 | 16 |
| 1985 | 87 |
| 1995 | 152 |
| Author(s) | Richard D Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2012 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. "Abbeydale Christian Fellowship (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2012. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Abbeydale_Christian_Fellowship_(Calgary,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=137612.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. (March 2012). Abbeydale Christian Fellowship (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Abbeydale_Christian_Fellowship_(Calgary,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=137612.
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