Christian Fellowship Chapel (Orillia, Ontario, Canada)
The Christian Fellowship Chapel in Orillia, Ontario has it roots in a group that left the local United Church to fellowship together in 1944. They were dissatisfied with denomination's lack of emphasis on individual spiritual redemption. The group was known as the Evangelical Fellowship until 1951, and met in rented facilities and homes in the Hampshire Mills area. In 1948 John Gowanlock donated the corner of a farm property, with the farmhouse, to the group. The house was converted into a meetinghouse. When the Mennonite Brethren began work in the area, the fellowship invited a call to Henry Dick, thus linking the congregation to the Mennonite Brethren Home Missions Board.
In 1951 the group became known as the Christian Fellowship Chapel. They were from United Church, Anglican, Alliance, Baptist, Brethren, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and other church backgrounds and all of British heritage. The Home Missions Board encouraged young teachers of Mennonite Brethren background to begin their careers in the area. These people helped in church programs and became the nucleus of a radio ministry that continued into the 1960s. In 1961 the congregation officially was organized as an Mennonite Brethren congregation with 20 charter members. In 1963 a parsonage was built nearby the meeting house. There were 26 members in 1967. In 1972 a larger meeting house was completed and the original meeting house became an education wing and was only torn down in 1993. In 1980 the membership stood at 62 and 68 in 1990. In 1994 they celebrated their 50th anniversary with many former leaders of the congregation present.
Bibliography
"History of the Christian Fellowship Chapel." Web. 5 April 2010. http://www.cfchapel.com/
Mennonite Brethren Herald (27 May 1988): 54; (19 March 1993): 21; (5 August 1994): 20.
When Your Children Shall Ask: A History of the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 1957-1982 (1982): 57-59.
Archives at Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.
Additional Information
Address: 1296 Cambrian Rd., R.R. 4, Orillia, Ontario
Phone: 705-326-8030
Website: Christian Fellowship Chapel
Denominational Affiliations:
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
Christian Fellowship Chapel Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1961 | 20 |
| 1965 | 27 |
| 1975 | 40 |
| 1985 | 83 |
| 1995 | 85 |
| 2000 | 87 |
| 2010 | 98 |
Christian Fellowship Chapel Pastors
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Henry Dick | 1951-1954 |
| John Epp | 1954-1957 |
| Herman Kroeker | 1957-1967 |
| Peter Klassen | 1967-1981 |
| Phil Hamm | 1981-1984 |
| Robert Roswell | 1984-1988 |
| George Peck | 1988-1989 |
| John Block | 1990-1998 |
| Robert Duncan | 1999 |
| Roger Thiessen | 2000-2002 |
| Andrew Barton | 2005-2008 |
| Peter Dennison | 2008-2019 |
| Jay Lafontaine | 2020-present |
Maps
Map:Christian Fellowship Chapel (Orillia, Ontario)
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Samuel J. Steiner | |
| Date Published | April 2010 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene and Samuel J. Steiner. "Christian Fellowship Chapel (Orillia, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2010. Web. 23 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Christian_Fellowship_Chapel_(Orillia,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=172553.
APA style
Epp, Marlene and Samuel J. Steiner. (April 2010). Christian Fellowship Chapel (Orillia, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Christian_Fellowship_Chapel_(Orillia,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=172553.
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