Kingston Mennonite Fellowship (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)
The Kingston Mennonite Fellowship in Kingston, Ontario, Canada began as a gathering of "displaced Mennonites" who lived in Kingston, far from other Mennonite congregations. In October 1982, at the initiative of Paul and Lynn Williams, ten people met every other Sunday for study and fellowship. Gerald and Shirley Pauls provided leadership from fall 1983 to early 1984.
In 1986 John and Ruth Hess moved from Toronto to Kingston, and John provided pastoral leadership until 1990, while also working as a chaplain in the women's prison. The congregation formally organized in March 1988, and was accepted as a congregation in the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada.
About a quarter of the congregation's members were involved in prison-related activities in Kingston, the home of several Canadian federal prisons. The congregation's commitment to justice issues also attracted a number of persons of non-Mennonite background.
Congregational life centered on Sunday afternoons when the group met for worship, Bible study, children's activities and meals in members' homes.
Eventually dwindling numbers and the lack of permanent leadership led the fellowship to close in 2001.
Bibliography
CMC Nexus (May 1996): 16.
"A History of Kingston Mennonite Fellowship." 3 pp., Mennonite Historical Society of Canada collection, Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
"Kingston Mennonite Fellowship." MCEC Reflections (1988): 37.
Martin, Maurice. "MCEC sells property, accepts new Lao church." Canadian Mennonite 6, no. 9 (6 May 2002). Web. 8 December 2016. http://legacy.canadianmennonite.org/vol06-2002/6-09/widerchurch.html.
Mennonite Reporter (18 April 1983): 4; (18 February 1991): B1; (10 February 1992): 11; (4 September 1995): 10.
Additional Information
Pastoral Leaders at Kingston Mennonite Fellowship
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Paul & Lynn Williams | 1982 |
| Gerald & Shirley Pauls | 1983-1984 |
| Lay leaders | 1984-1986 |
| John H. Hess | 1986-1990 |
| Ingrid Peters | 1990-1994 |
| George Best (Lay leader) |
1995-2001 |
Membership at Kingston Mennonite Fellowship
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 19 |
| 1995 | 20 |
| 2000 | 11 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | December 2016 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Kingston Mennonite Fellowship (Kingston, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2016. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kingston_Mennonite_Fellowship_(Kingston,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=165248.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (December 2016). Kingston Mennonite Fellowship (Kingston, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kingston_Mennonite_Fellowship_(Kingston,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=165248.
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