Difference between revisions of "Lao Christian Fellowship (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)"

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Box 20084, 79 Page St., St. Catharines, ON, L2M 7W7. (905) 687-4940. Ministers Khamphong Phommaseng and Kuaying Teng served in 2000 as congregational leaders. In 1995 there were 38 members; in 2000, 60. The congregation has been affiliated with the Mennonite Churchf Eastern Canada (1988-) and the [[Conference of Mennonites in Canada|Conference of Mennonites in Canada]] / [[Mennonite Church Canada|Mennonite Church Canada]] (1995-). The language of worship is Lao.
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Southin and Khamphong Luangrath and their family were the first refugees sponsored by the [[St. Catharines United Mennonite Church (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)|St. Catharines United Mennonite Church]]; other refugees were sponsored by Niagara-area [[Mennonite Brethren Church|Mennonite Brethren]] congregations and other Protestant churches. The Luangrath family was not Christian when they arrived, but they participated in Wednesday evening English-language Bible studies led by Henry P. Epp. Another Laotian family, already Christian, came six months later, and soon a small group met for occasional Bible study at the St. Catharines United Mennonite Church. Up to 20 persons were participating by April 1980.  
  
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The congregation began services in 1980 at the [[Grantham Mennonite Brethren Church (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)|Grantham Mennonite Brethren Church]], and formally organized in 1983. For many years it met at the [[St. Catharines United Mennonite Church (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)|St. Catharines United Mennonite Church]]. Southin Luangrath is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through the efforts of a family of refugees who arrived in Canada in the late 1970s.
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In August 1980 the St. Catharines United Mennonite and [[Vineland United Mennonite Church (Vineland, Ontario, Canada)|Vineland United Mennonite]] churches assisted a Lao Christian pastor, Tong Chitchalerntham, to move to the community and start a congregation. On 19 August 1980 the Lao Christian Fellowship formally organized. They soon published a songbook in Lao and developed a vigorous church program.
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Chitchalerntham also occasionally ministered to small Christian Laotian groups in Hamilton, Cambridge, and Kitchener. He left the congregation in the late 1980s to plant more Lao Christian churches throughout North America. Boris Sithideth became pastor in 1991 and served until he and his wife, Bonnie, were commissioned in 1994 to begin a work that became the [[Toronto United Lao Mennonite Church (Concord, Ontario, Canada)|Toronto United Lao Mennonite Church]].  
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The St. Catharines congregation purchased its own building in 1996.
 
= Bibliography =
 
= Bibliography =
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<em class="gameo_bibliography">Mennonite Reporter</em> (8 July 1991): 16; (28 November 1994): 3; (14 October 1996): B2.
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Epp, Andrea. "Grateful for God's Mercy." ''Canadian Mennonite'' (19 April 2010): 16-17.
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=May 1988|a1_last=Epp|a1_first=Marlene|a2_last= |a2_first= }}
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''Mennonite Reporter'' (8 July 1991): 16; (28 November 1994): 3; (14 October 1996): B2.
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Phommaseng, Khamphong. "Blessed in the Journey." ''Canadian Mennonite'' 20, no. 4 (15 February 2016): 7.
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Steiner, Samuel J. ''In Search of Promised Lands: a Religious History of Mennonites in Ontario.'' Kitchener, Ont. : Herald Press, 2015: 461-462.
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= Additional Information =
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'''Address''': 79 Page St., St. Catharines, ON L2R 4A8
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'''Phone''':
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'''Website''': http://niagaramc.com/
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'''Denominational Affiliations''':
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[https://mcec.ca/ Mennonite Church Eastern Canada]
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[http://home.mennonitechurch.ca/ Mennonite Church Canada]
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== Ordained Leaders at Lao Christian Fellowship ==
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{| class="wikitable"
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|-
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! Name !! Years<br/>of Service
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|-
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| Tong Chitchalerntham|| 1980-1989?
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|-
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| Boris Sithideth || 1991-1994
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|-
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| Kuaying Teng || 1994-present
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|-
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| Khamphong Phommaseng || 1995-2014
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|}
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== Membership at Lao Christian Fellowship ==
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
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|-
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! Year !! Membership
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|-
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| 1995|| 38
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|-
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| 2005 || 60
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|-
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| 2015 || 60
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|}
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= Map =
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[[Map:Lao Christian Fellowship (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)]]
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=March 2015|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Sam|a2_last= |a2_first= }}
  
 
[[Category:Churches]]
 
[[Category:Churches]]

Revision as of 16:00, 17 December 2016

Southin and Khamphong Luangrath and their family were the first refugees sponsored by the St. Catharines United Mennonite Church; other refugees were sponsored by Niagara-area Mennonite Brethren congregations and other Protestant churches. The Luangrath family was not Christian when they arrived, but they participated in Wednesday evening English-language Bible studies led by Henry P. Epp. Another Laotian family, already Christian, came six months later, and soon a small group met for occasional Bible study at the St. Catharines United Mennonite Church. Up to 20 persons were participating by April 1980.

In August 1980 the St. Catharines United Mennonite and Vineland United Mennonite churches assisted a Lao Christian pastor, Tong Chitchalerntham, to move to the community and start a congregation. On 19 August 1980 the Lao Christian Fellowship formally organized. They soon published a songbook in Lao and developed a vigorous church program.

Chitchalerntham also occasionally ministered to small Christian Laotian groups in Hamilton, Cambridge, and Kitchener. He left the congregation in the late 1980s to plant more Lao Christian churches throughout North America. Boris Sithideth became pastor in 1991 and served until he and his wife, Bonnie, were commissioned in 1994 to begin a work that became the Toronto United Lao Mennonite Church.

The St. Catharines congregation purchased its own building in 1996.

Bibliography

Epp, Andrea. "Grateful for God's Mercy." Canadian Mennonite (19 April 2010): 16-17.

Mennonite Reporter (8 July 1991): 16; (28 November 1994): 3; (14 October 1996): B2.

Phommaseng, Khamphong. "Blessed in the Journey." Canadian Mennonite 20, no. 4 (15 February 2016): 7.

Steiner, Samuel J. In Search of Promised Lands: a Religious History of Mennonites in Ontario. Kitchener, Ont. : Herald Press, 2015: 461-462.

Additional Information

Address: 79 Page St., St. Catharines, ON L2R 4A8

Phone:

Website: http://niagaramc.com/

Denominational Affiliations: Mennonite Church Eastern Canada

Mennonite Church Canada

Ordained Leaders at Lao Christian Fellowship

Name Years
of Service
Tong Chitchalerntham 1980-1989?
Boris Sithideth 1991-1994
Kuaying Teng 1994-present
Khamphong Phommaseng 1995-2014

Membership at Lao Christian Fellowship

Year Membership
1995 38
2005 60
2015 60

Map

Map:Lao Christian Fellowship (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)


Author(s) Sam Steiner
Date Published March 2015

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Sam. "Lao Christian Fellowship (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2015. Web. 26 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Lao_Christian_Fellowship_(St._Catharines,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=141872.

APA style

Steiner, Sam. (March 2015). Lao Christian Fellowship (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 26 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Lao_Christian_Fellowship_(St._Catharines,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=141872.



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