County Line Gospel Chapel (Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada)
County Line Gospel Chapel originated through the outreach of the West Coast Children's Mission. It began when Abe J. Sawatsky of Yarrow took over a ministry originally started by a Baptist group in 1948. He was succeeded by John Guenther from Clearbrook two years later. In 1951, the East Aldergrove Mennonite Brethren Church assumed sponsorship of the work, constructing a chapel to accommodate a Sunday school ministry carried out by Calvin Buehler. Evangelistic work carried out by A. H. Wieler in 1956 led to the establishment of a mission church. John Esau was appointed to lead the church, and the congregation was accepted as a member of the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in 1958.
The congregation struggled financially and due to population shifts, and for many years the ministry remained a children's ministry. In 1962 George and Edith Penner took leadership of the ministry work. Eventually the congregation distanced itself from the Mennonite Brethren and it was released from the Mennonite Brethren conferences in 1979.
Bibliography
Penner, Peter. No Longer At Arms Length: Mennonite Brethren Church Planting in Canada. Winnipeg, MB: Kindred Press, 1987: 77.
Additional Information
Address: 26620 32nd Avenue, R.R.1, Aldergrove BC V0X 1A0
Telephone: 604-856-6437
Denominational Affiliations:
British Columbia Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches (1958-1979)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1958-1979)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1958-1979)
County Line Gospel Chapel Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Abe J. Sawatsky | 1948-1950 |
| John Guenther | 1950-1951 |
| Calvin J. Buehler | 1951-1953 |
| John Esau | 1953-1960 |
| David Froese | 1961-1962 |
| George J. Penner | 1962-1978 |
County Line Gospel Chapel Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1958 | 18 |
| 1960 | 14 |
| 1965 | 17 |
| 1970 | 30 |
| 1975 | 44 |
| 1978 | 39 |
| Author(s) | Richard D Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | November 2009 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. "County Line Gospel Chapel (Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2009. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=County_Line_Gospel_Chapel_(Aldergrove,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=114994.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. (November 2009). County Line Gospel Chapel (Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=County_Line_Gospel_Chapel_(Aldergrove,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=114994.
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