Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario
Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario was established in 1959. Curtis Cressman and Moses Roth, bishops; Moses Baer and Elmer Grove, ministers; Andrew Axt and Clarence Huber, deacons; with their followers, held their first separate church service on 22 November 1959, at the Township Hall, Baden. Services at Baden continued until the New Hamburg Conservative Mennonite church was built in 1960. The Heidelberg and Fort Stewart congregations were established the same year.
The reason for the group's withdrawal from the Mennonite Conference of Ontario (MC) was the desire to return to earlier biblical standards of nonconformity to the unequal yoke in regard to politics, immodest attire (dress), women's hair cutting, and wearing of jewelry. They wanted closer adherence and obedience to scriptural church ordinances. Their appeal to the conference was ineffective, resulting in their withdrawal.
In 1975, issues relating to radio and television again surfaced, causing about one-third of the most lenient members to secede and establish the Heidelberg Fellowship Church.
In 1986 there were 11 congregations, with 4 bishops, 17 ministers, and 7 deacons. Membership was 418. Ten schools offered instruction up to grade 10. Under the Fellowship Churches program, the Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario has supported missions in India, Nigeria, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and the Philippines.
In 2016 the Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario had 13 congregations with a total of 889 members. The group operated nine schools and a publishing house, CMCO Publications.
| Congregation | City | State | Members | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookside Conservative Mennonite Church | Carthage | Ontario, Canada | 99 | 1974 |
| Calvary Conservative Mennonite Church | Elmira | Ontario, Canada | 96 | 1969 |
| Cedarvale Conservative Mennonite Church | Harriston | Ontario, Canada | 130 | 1989 |
| Dayspring Conservative Mennonite Church | Centre Hastings | Ontario, Canada | 40 | 2011 |
| Ethel Conservative Mennonite Church | Ethel | Ontario, Canada | 42 | 2007 |
| Faith Haven Conservative Mennonite Church | Croton | Ontario, Canada | 72 | 2004 |
| Gospel Light Conservative Mennonite Church | Flesherton | Ontario, Canada | 32 | 2015 |
| Hillview Conservative Mennonite Church | Bancroft | Ontario, Canada | 45 | 1961 |
| India Conservative Mennonite Church | Kakinada | India | 105 | 1981 |
| Lakeview Conservative Mennonite Church | Zurich | Ontario, Canada | 69 | 1967 |
| Pineview Conservative Mennonite Church | Barwick | Ontario, Canada | 75 | 1965 |
| Shiloh Conservative Mennonite Church | Orwell | Ontario, Canada | 32 | 1995 |
| Woodside Conservative Mennonite Church | Stratton | Ontario, Canada | 52 | 1987 |
| Total | 889 |
Bibliography
Constitution and Faith and Practice of the Mennonite Church of Ontario.
Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario. Congregational Directory (2016).
Directory of the Fellowship Churches. Farmington, N. Mex.: Lamp and Light Publishers, Inc.
Mennonite Archives of Ontario, Conrad Grebel College, Waterloo, Ont.
Mennonite Church Directory 2010. Harrisonburg, VA: Christian Light Publications, Inc., 2010: 57-58.
Reimer, Margaret Loewen, ed., One Quilt, Many Pieces. Waterloo, Ont.: Mennonite Publishing Service, 1983: 18.
| Author(s) | Isaac R. Horst |
|---|---|
| Sam Steiner | |
| Date Published | August 2016 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Horst, Isaac R. and Sam Steiner. "Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2016. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Conservative_Mennonite_Church_of_Ontario&oldid=135384.
APA style
Horst, Isaac R. and Sam Steiner. (August 2016). Conservative Mennonite Church of Ontario. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Conservative_Mennonite_Church_of_Ontario&oldid=135384.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, pp. 191-192. All rights reserved.
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