Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship (Vanderhoof, British Columbia, Canada)
There were migrations of Mennonites from Manitoba and Minnesota to the Vanderhoof area of British Columbia as early as 1917. Additional Mennonites cam from Saskatchewan in 1942, others from the Canadian prairies during the 1950s. The main industry in the area was logging.
In about 1958 a revival occurred at Burns Lake, British Columbia, about 125 kilometres west of Vanderhoof, among Sommerfelder Mennonites. About that same time there was interest by the Evangelical Mennonite Conference to start a work in the area.
Meetings and Bible studies were held at the Martens Hall. Speakers came from Burns Lake, including John Knelsen and Arden Thiessen. The attendance at meetings peaked at about 50, but organization did not occur and people eventually scattered.
Around 1968 some people approached the EMC Board of Missions for help. John Harms, a minister at Kola EMC Church and his wife Goldie looked over the situation, and agreed to lead the work. Services began in their home in 1969. The group soon moved into Martens Hall.
The church was formally organized on 22 February 1970 with 13 members and John Harms was installed as its pastor. Meetings in the Martens Hall continued until 1975.
Construction of a church building began in 1974 and was completed in Spring 1975. The first service in the building was in March. In 1981 a wing was added to house a Christian school, which began that year with Leroy Penner who had moved from Steinbach, Manitoba to be the school’s head supervisor.
Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship had 88 active members in 2017 and an average attendance of 120.
The mission of Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship was stated “to love God, love our neighbour and make disciples.” The vision of Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship was to serve our neighbour through loving, encouraging, and caring.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (6 March 1959): 3; (31 December 1969): 6.
Hancock, Lyn, ed. Vanderhoof: the Town That Wouldn't Wait. Vanderhoof: Nechako Valley Historical Society, 1979, 211 pp.
Schellenberg, Dave. “The Church in a Valley: Church Profile: Vanderhoof, B.C.,” The Messenger (Oct. 23, 1981): 2-4.
Schellenberg, Dave. “The Church on an Island: Church Profile: Burns Lake, B.C.,” The Messenger (Oct. 9, 1981): 2-4.
Additional Information
Address: Box 377, Vanderhoof, BC V0J 3A0
Location: 263 Vanderview Drive, Vanderhoof, BC
Phone: 250-567-9198
Website: Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship
Denominational Affiliation:
Evangelical Mennonite Conference (1970-present)
Mennville Evangelical Mennonite Church Pastors
| Pastor | Yeats |
|---|---|
| John Harms | 1970-1978 |
| John Harm (minister) | 1978-1980 |
| John and Clara Koop | 1978-1984 |
| LeRoy and Marcella Barkman | 1985-1994 |
| Peter Wiebe | 1989 |
| Peter Schlamp | 1989 |
| Ed Peters | 1990 |
| David and Lenore Plett | 1994 |
| Dave and Audrey Wiebe | 195-1998 |
| James Penner (Youth Associate) | 1997-1998 |
| Ben and Sue Wiebe (Associate) | 1998 |
| James and Trisha Penner | 1999-2003 |
| Richie and Penny Jones (youth) | 2000 |
| Brad and Cathy Schneck | 2004-2012 |
| Cornie and Donna Peters | 2013 |
| Peter and Martha Doerksen | 2014- |
| Brad Harms | 2017- |
Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 20 |
| 1975 | 71 |
| 1980 | 98 |
| 1985 | 102 |
| 1990 | 113 |
| 1995 | 95 |
| 2000 | 74 |
| 2005 | 78 |
| 2010 | 76 |
Maps
Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship, Vanderhoof, BC
| Author(s) | Sierra Giesbrecht |
|---|---|
| Terry Smith | |
| Date Published | August 2017 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Giesbrecht, Sierra and Terry Smith. "Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship (Vanderhoof, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2017. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Vanderhoof_Christian_Fellowship_(Vanderhoof,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=153959.
APA style
Giesbrecht, Sierra and Terry Smith. (August 2017). Vanderhoof Christian Fellowship (Vanderhoof, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Vanderhoof_Christian_Fellowship_(Vanderhoof,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=153959.
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