Calvary Mennonite Church (Monetville, Ontario, Canada)
Monetville is a small French/English community between the West Arm of Lake Nipissing and the French River. In 1944, several men from the Ontario Mennonite Mission Board visited the area to determine the feasibility of starting a mission work among the English-speaking population.
In the summer of 1945, Arthur Gingrich, Leslie Witmer, and Paul Hunsberger conducted the first Summer Bible School with a total enrollment of 26 children. The following November, Paul Hunsberger started a Sunday school in the old school house. The roads at that time were poor in summer and almost nonexistent in the winter, so Hunsberger had to complete his weekly trip from Markstay to Monetville on skis. Attendance grew from 12 to 28 during the first winter.
Paul Hunsberger bought a farm in Monetville in 1946, and together with his bride, Edna, undertook the mission work together. They held services and Summer Bible School in various schoolhouses and homes, and even tents when necessary. Property was purchased and prepared in 1950 for the first church building, which was dedicated on 16 December 1951. Paul Hunsberger had been ordained as pastor of the fledgling church earlier that year.
In 1964, the congregation erected a new church building. Simon and Lydia Martin served as pastoral team from 1960-1967. They started weekly boys' and girls' clubs, in addition to the regular worship services, Sunday school, and Summer Bible School.
During the 1980s, some congregational members begin an outreach work in the nearby French community of Noelville and left to embark on this mission.
In 1991 the congregation built an addition to accommodate growing attendance in Sunday school, Kid's Clubs, and Summer Bible School.
Differing worship styles prompted some members to leave Calvary Mennonite Church in 1998 to begin The Tree of Life (Mennonite) Church. The two churches together continued holding Summer Bible School for the community children -- still attended in 2003 by an average of 60 children every summer.
In 2009 Calvary Mennonite offered a traditional style of worship service to the local and tourist population, with an emphasis on living Christian lives as an example to the community.
Bibliography
Gospel Herald (8 March 1946): 960.
Mennonite Reporter (28 May 1990): 14; (14 October 1991): B2.
Smith, Roy. "Markstay-Monetville," 1954, Mennonite Archives of Ontario..
Additional Information
Address: 15 Mercer Road, Monetville, Ontario
Phone: 705-898-1574
Denominational Affiliations:
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada
Table 1: Calvary Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Paul Hunsberger | 1945-1959 |
| Simon B. Martin | 1960-1967 |
| Floyd Schmucker | 1967-1972 |
| Hubert Lawrence | 1972-1977 |
| Abe Buhler | 1978-1980 |
| John Coffman (Interim) | 1980-1981 |
| Tom Warner | 1981-1983 |
| John Coffman (Team Leader) | 1983-1986 |
| Philip Lichty | 1987-1999 |
| Lloyd Steeves | 2000-2008 |
| Kevin Quesnel | 2008-2015 |
Table 2: Calvary Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 24 |
| 1975 | 37 |
| 1985 | 46 |
| 1995 | 54 |
| 2003 | 30 |
| 2009 | 30 |
| 2015 | 30 |
Maps
Map:Calvary Mennonite Church (Monetville, Ontario)
| Author(s) | Laura Karelse |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 2009 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Karelse, Laura. "Calvary Mennonite Church (Monetville, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 2009. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Calvary_Mennonite_Church_(Monetville,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=143264.
APA style
Karelse, Laura. (2009). Calvary Mennonite Church (Monetville, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Calvary_Mennonite_Church_(Monetville,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=143264.
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