Kingston Mennonite Fellowship (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)
The Kingston Mennonite Fellowship in Kingston, Ontario, Canada began as a gathering of "displaced Mennonites" who lived in Kingston, far from other Mennonite congregations. In October 1982, 10 people met every other Sunday for study and fellowship. Gerald and Shirley Pauls provided leadership at the beginning.
In 1986 John and Ruth Hess moved from Toronto to Kingston, and John provided pastoral leadership until 1990, while also working as a chaplain the women's prison. The congregation formally organized in March 1988, and was accepted as a congregation in the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada.
About a quarter of the congregation's members were involved in prison-related activities in Kingston, the home of several Canadian federal prisons. The congregation's commitment to justice issues also attracted a number of persons of non-Mennonite background.
Congregational life centered on Sunday afternoons when the group met for worship, Bible study, children's activities and meals in members' homes.
Eventually dwindling numbers and the lack of permanent leadership led the fellowship to close in 2001.
Bibliography
CMC Nexus (May 1996): 16.
"A History of Kingston Mennonite Fellowship." 3 pp., Mennonite Historical Society of Canada collection, Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
Martin, Maurice. "MCEC sells property, accepts new Lao church." Canadian Mennonite 6, no. 9 (6 May 2002). Web. 8 December 2016. http://legacy.canadianmennonite.org/vol06-2002/6-09/widerchurch.html.
Mennonite Reporter (18 April 1983): 4; (18 February 1991): B1; (10 February 1992): 11; (4 September 1995): 10.
Additional Information
Pastoral Leaders at Kingston Mennonite Fellowship
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Gerald & Shirley Pauls | 1982-? |
| John H. Hess | 1986-1990 |
| Ingrid Peters | 1990-1994 |
| George Best (Lay leader) |
1995-2001 |
Membership at Kingston Mennonite Fellowship
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 19 |
| 1995 | 20 |
| 2000 | 11 |
| Author(s) | Sam Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | December 2016 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Sam. "Kingston Mennonite Fellowship (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2016. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kingston_Mennonite_Fellowship_(Kingston,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=141767.
APA style
Steiner, Sam. (December 2016). Kingston Mennonite Fellowship (Kingston, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kingston_Mennonite_Fellowship_(Kingston,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=141767.
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