Altona Mennonite Meetinghouse (Stouffville, Ontario, Canada)
The Altona Mennonite Meetinghouse, of Altona, Pickering Township, Ontario County, Ontario was one of three meetinghouses used by the Markham congregation of the Markham-Waterloo Old Order Mennonite Conference, the ministerial leadership being identical with Reesor's and Almira. The early history of the congregation is uncertain, but the first grave in the cemetery is dated 1835. Services were held in a schoolhouse until 1852 when the present house was built. From 1890, when the group separated from the Mennonite Conference of Ontario (Mennonite Church), to 1919 approximately, services alternated with the Altona Mennonite Church (MC), but after that only with Reesor's and Almira. Combined membership of the three places was about 100 in 1953. The congregation dissolved in 1974. It has been affiliated with the Old Order Mennonite Conference (1889-1930), and the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference (1930-1974). The language of worship was English; the transition from German occurred in the 1920s. An annual heritage service is still held in the building.
The meetinghouse is located two miles east of Stouffville on the Pickering-Uxbridge Townline. Bishop Abraham Smith served in the 1960s as a non-salaried congregational leader. In 1925 there were 95 members; in 1950, 100; in 1974, 15.
See also Altona Mennonite Church
Bibliography
Mennonite Reporter (Oct. 26, 1981): 12, (Dec. 24, 1990): 13.
Frey, Aden. "The Markham-Waterloo Conference of Ontario." Research paper, CGC, 1972, 38 pp.
Mennonites in Canada collection (70-Markham-Waterloo), MAO.
| Author(s) | Fred L. Nighswander |
|---|---|
| Marlene Epp | |
| Date Published | April 1986 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Nighswander, Fred L. and Marlene Epp. "Altona Mennonite Meetinghouse (Stouffville, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 1986. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Altona_Mennonite_Meetinghouse_(Stouffville,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=142234.
APA style
Nighswander, Fred L. and Marlene Epp. (April 1986). Altona Mennonite Meetinghouse (Stouffville, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Altona_Mennonite_Meetinghouse_(Stouffville,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=142234.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 82. All rights reserved.
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