New Life Christian Fellowship (Stevenson, Ontario, Canada)
New Life Christian Fellowship, an Evangelical Mennonite Conference (EMC) congregation, began services in September 2000 to serve Low German-speaking Mennonites, most with roots in Mexico. Initially called Tilbury Evangelical Mennonite Church, it first met in the community of that name.
The first service in Tilbury, Ontario, was in a rented store that it outgrew quickly. Services began in German, but quickly shifted to English. In December 2000 the church moved to a larger rented store on Main Street, Tilbury.
In February 2007 the congregation began meeting in a church building (the former St. Charles Roman Catholic Church) it purchased in the smaller community of Stevenson, about 10 minutes from Tilbury. The congregation’s name was changed after the meeting place relocated outside of Tilbury.
On 8 July 2001 the congregation was received into EMC membership.
Pastoral couple Jacob and Anna Enns married in March 1987 in Mexico, left for Canada a few days later, and became involved in Mount Salem Evangelical Mennonite Church in Aylmer, Ontario. In November 1991 Jacob and Anna Enns moved to Leamington, Ontario, to help with the church plant of the Leamington Evangelical Mennonite Church. In 2000, Jacob Enns was asked to lead the church plant in Tilbury.
In 2007, the church had three ministerial couples: pastor Jacob and Anna Enns, minister John and Lina Dyck, and deacon Isaac and Tina Klassen. Bill Friesen was elected congregational chairman in January 2007. By 2012, both Isaac Klassen and Bill Friesen were listed as ministers. John Dyck and Bill Friesen were both sons of Old Colony bishops.
Jacob Enns resigned as pastor in 2011 and a pastoral search began. In 2012, New Life Christian Fellowship averaged 100 at a worship service.
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.
Smith, Terry M. "Reaching Out Together in Challenging Times." The Messenger 50, no. 4 (18 April 2007): 16-18.
Additional Information
Address: 3659 Goodreau Line, Stevenson, Ontario
Phone: 519-682-9764
Denominational Affiliation:
Evangelical Mennonite Conference
| Author(s) | Terry Smith |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2013 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Smith, Terry. "New Life Christian Fellowship (Stevenson, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2013. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New_Life_Christian_Fellowship_(Stevenson,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=140751.
APA style
Smith, Terry. (January 2013). New Life Christian Fellowship (Stevenson, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=New_Life_Christian_Fellowship_(Stevenson,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=140751.
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