Almira Mennonite Meetinghouse (Unionville, Ontario, Canada)
Bishop Abraham Smith served in 1970 as a non-salaried congregational leader. In 1925 there were 95 members; in 1950, 100. The congregation dissolved in 1970. It had been affiliated with the Old Order Mennonites (1889-1930) and the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference (1930-1970). The language of worship was English; the transition from German occurred in the 1930s.
The congregation began services and formally organized in 1889. The first building was occupied in 1860. Christian Reesor is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through division from the Mennonite Conference of Ontario in 1889 over issues of Sunday school, acceptance of revivalism and use of the English language.
Ministers have included Christian Burkholder, Christian Gayman, Levi Grove, Thomas Reesor, Abraham Smith (bishop), Fred Nighswander and Cecil Reesor.
The 1860 meetinghouse was used alternately by the Mennonite Conference of Ontario and the Old Order Mennonite after the 1889 division. Almira left the Old Order Mennonite Church in 1930 over the use of automobiles and the telephone and helped form the Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Church. The meetinghouse was located on Lot 32, Concession 5, Markham Township, East side of Fifth line, North of 19th Ave.
Bibliography
Frey, Aden. "The Markham-Waterloo Conference of Ontario," Research paper, Conrad Grebel University College, 1972, 38 pp.
Mennonites in Canada collection, 70-Markham-Waterloo, MAO.
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Abraham Smith | |
| Date Published | April 1986 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene and Abraham Smith. "Almira Mennonite Meetinghouse (Unionville, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 1986. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Almira_Mennonite_Meetinghouse_(Unionville,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=115543.
APA style
Epp, Marlene and Abraham Smith. (April 1986). Almira Mennonite Meetinghouse (Unionville, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Almira_Mennonite_Meetinghouse_(Unionville,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=115543.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 65. All rights reserved.
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