Church of the Way (Granisle, British Columbia, Canada)
The Church of the Way had its origins in a Bible study that developed in Granisle, British Columbia, which drew the attention of some of the members of First Mennonite Church at Burns Lake, including the pastor, Ed Giesbrecht. They decided to help out with the Bible study and initiate a children's educational program.
In 1973, Ed Giesbrecht asked for support and physical assistance from the Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia. The Missions Committee of the conference sent George and Carol Born in 1974 to fill the vacancy. By working with the local Anglican rector, regular Sunday morning worship services began as well as Sunday school and a Wednesday fellowship.
A transient mining population made it difficult to maintain sufficient numbers in the beginning. However, as time passed, the congregation grew enough to justify constructing a church building of their own, which they began to occupy in 1979. In the same year, the congregation adopted the name, Church of the Way, and officially became affiliated with the BC Conference of Mennonites. In 2006 the church was the only Christian community actively conducting regular services.
In February 2019 it was announced that the congregation had voted to leave Mennonite Church British Columbia and had applied to join the Evangelical Free Church of Canada. The primary reason for the congregation's departure from MCBC was Mennonite Church Canada's approval of the Being a Faithful Church 7 document in 2016.
Bibliography
Buhler, Jerry. "The Development of the Church of the Way: Granisle, B.C." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1982, 12 pp., Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Churches in Profile. Clearbrook, BC: Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, 1978: 55-57.
Dueckman, Amy. "Church of the Way to leave MC B.C." Canadian Mennonite, Vol. 23, no. 5 (4 March 2019): 15.
Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives, Winnipeg, Manitoba. "Church of the Way fonds." 27 March 2003. http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/programs/archives/holdings/BC/BC_churchway.htm (accessed 14 December 2009).
Mennonite Reporter (7 January 1980): 10.
Archival Records
Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg MB: Volume 2422.
Additional Information
Address: Box 207, Granisle, BC V0J 1W0
Location: 1 Newman Avenue, Granisle, BC (coordinates: 54.88269, -126.20485 [N 54 52' 57", W 126 12' 17"])
Phone: 250-697-6334
Denominational Affiliations:
Mennonite Church British Columbia/Mennonite Church British Columbia (1979-2019)
Church of the Way Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| George H. Born | 1974-1980 |
| Dick Hildebrandt | 1981-1983 |
| Norman Voth | 1984-1987 |
| David Ruby | 1989-1991 |
| Harold Anderson | 1992-1996 |
| Ken Peters | 1998-2000 |
| Ed Giesbrecht | 2000-2007 |
| Steve Heinrichs | 2007-2010 |
| Rob Wiebe | 2011-present |
Church of the Way Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 35 |
| 1979 | 24 |
| 1985 | 11 |
| 1990 | 28 |
| 1995 | 6 |
| 2000 | 12 |
| 2005 | 17 |
| 2010 | 20 |
| 2015 | 19 |
Map
Church of the Way, Granisle, British Columbia, Canada
| Author(s) | Andrew Klager |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2019 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Klager, Andrew. "Church of the Way (Granisle, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2019. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Church_of_the_Way_(Granisle,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=163853.
APA style
Klager, Andrew. (March 2019). Church of the Way (Granisle, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Church_of_the_Way_(Granisle,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=163853.
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