Northern Fellowship Chapel (Creighton, Saskatchewan, Canada)
The Northern Fellowship Chapel (NFC) in Creighton, Saskatchewan, a member of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference (EMC), began services in 1960 because a schoolteacher, Henry Klassen, saw that the community needed an evangelical church. Services began in a community hall in Creighton in 1960 and a building was constructed in 1962 at 433 First Street West in Creighton. The congregation was formally organized on 1 November 1964 with 11 members. Since 1965 it has been affiliated with the EMC.
Its first worker was Arnold Wiebe in 1960. When Mel and Mary Koop arrived in November 1960 and Arnold Wiebe left unexpectedly, Mel Koop became the organizing pastor. With Creighton located between Denare Beach, Saskatchewan, and Flin Flon (both Saskatchewan and Manitoba ), many of the members came from the wider area. The congregation was known as Creighton Fellowship Chapel prior to 1964 when the name was changed to better reflect the membership. Its first baptisms were performed in May 1967 when George Braun was the pastor. Those baptized were Valerie Rempel, Bev Manns, and Robin Smith.
Northern Fellowship Chapel functions as a community evangelical church. In the 1970s and 1980s when churches in the area were affected by varying views on the Holy Spirit, NFC became charismatic. It grew significantly, but then went into decline.
Northern Fellowship Chapel’s early leaders or pastors were Arnold Wiebe (1960), Mel and Mary Koop (1960-65), Dan and Norma Koop (ca. 1966-ca. 1967), George and Elsie Braun, Arnold Leister, Harvey Kroeker (1978-1983), Dan and Lottie Thiessen (1983-85), and Terry and Mary Ann Smith (1985-1996). NFC then had interim pastoral couples, including Henry and Tina Kornelsen and Dick and Tina Unrau (November 1996-April 1997).
In 2001 NFC began to share a pastoral team with Cornerstone Community Church (formerly Flin Flon Mennonite Brethren Church), a Mennonite Brethren congregation established in Flin Flon, Manitoba in 1984. Its joint pastoral couples have been Dale and Marge Warkentin (2001-2003), Alex and Carla Suderman (2003-2004), Scott and Natalie Koop (2004-2009), and Randall and Faith Krahn (2010-present). Retired pastoral couple Lorne and Margaret Moorhead, who served previously at Endeavour Fellowship Chapel and in Baptist circles (including in Flin Flon), are part of the local pastoral care team.
The Northern Christian Academy, an Accelerated Christian Education private school, ran from 1980-1984.
In 2012, the average worship attendance was 10.
Bibliography
EMC Yearbook for 2012: Including a Record of the Proceedings of the 62nd Annual Sessions of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference July 6-8, 2012. Steinbach: Evangelical Mennonite Conference, 2012.
Moorhead, Margaret. "VBS and Pastoral Change." The Messenger 42 no. 20 (17 November 2004): 8.
Schroeder, Sandra. "Scott and Natalie Commissioned." The Messenger 42 no. 20 (17 November 2004): 8.
Smith, Terry. "A Short History of the Northern Fellowship Chapel." Unpublished typescript, 1987, 3 pp. Mennonite Historical Society of Canada collection, Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
Smith, Terry. "At the End of the Road . . . is Home." The Messenger 36 no. 3 (11 February 1989): 6-10.
Additional Information
Location: 433 First Street West, Creighton, Saskatchewan
Mailing Address: Box 35, Creighton, SK S0P 0A0
Phone: 306-688-4689
Denominational Affiliation:
Evangelical Mennonite Conference
Northern Fellowship Chapel Ministers
| Minister | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Arnold Wiebe | 1960 |
| Mel Koop | 1960-1965 |
| Dan Koop | 1966-1967 |
| George Braun | |
| Arnold Leister | |
| Harvey Kroeker | 1978-1983 |
| Dan Thiessen | 1983-1985 |
| Terry Smith | 1985-1996 |
| Henry Kornelsen (interim) | |
| Dick Unrau (interim) | 1996-1997 |
| Dale Warkentin | 2001-2003 |
| Alex Suderman | 2003-2004 |
| Scott Koop | 2004-2009 |
| Randall Krahn | 2010-present |
Northern Fellowship Chapel Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 15 |
| 1975 | 21 |
| 1995 | 7 |
| 2000 | 7 |
| 2012 | 9 |
| Author(s) | Terry Smith |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2013 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Smith, Terry. "Northern Fellowship Chapel (Creighton, Saskatchewan, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2013. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Northern_Fellowship_Chapel_(Creighton,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=93135.
APA style
Smith, Terry. (January 2013). Northern Fellowship Chapel (Creighton, Saskatchewan, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Northern_Fellowship_Chapel_(Creighton,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=93135.
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