Living Water Fellowship Church (New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada)
Living Water Community Christian Fellowship in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada began as a church plant in 1980 by the Western Ontario Mennonite Conference and the Mennonite Conference of Ontario and Quebec. Research into various options ended with acceptance of a proposal by Mahlon Wagler, Elroy Gingerich and Wayne Wagler for an "alternate" Mennonite fellowship that allowed for greater variety in worship and openness to charismatic expressions of faith.
In January 1981, 50 persons attended a meeting to explore this option. About 25 persons from this group began to meet Saturday evenings for fellowship, prayer and discernment. They then decided to form three small groups to meet weekly or biweekly. The first Sunday morning service was held in August 1981, and regular Sunday morning services began in October 1981 in the Ten Thousand Villages warehouse in New Hamburg. In November 1982 the group moved to the New Hamburg Community Centre. A new building was erected at the present location, and occupied in November 1983. During these years, leadership was provided by a team of the founding couples and the small group leaders.
In early 1984 a pastoral search began, resulting in the call to Ed and Gloria King to serve on a part time basis. This was known to be a temporary assignment since the Kings had a commitment to the mission field in late 1985. Amsey Martin became the first fulltime pastor in October 1986.
The congregation completed a major addition in 1991. In about 2019 the congregation changed its name to Living Water Fellowship Church.
In March 2020 Living Water withdrew from Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. The withdrawal from MC Canada was rooted in disagreement with the theological directions taken by that conference. They became part of the Catch the Fire congregations rooted in the charismatic Toronto Blessing of the 1990s.
Bibliography
Gingerich, Hilda. "History of Living Water Community Christian Fellowship," November 1988. Unpublished paper.
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. Discernment Documents (25 April 2020): 27-28.
Mennonite Reporter (19 January 1981): 2A; (12 October 1981): 13; (29 November 1982): 12; (8 August 1983): 10; (14 October 1991): B2; (25 November 1991): 12; (8 January 1996): 12.
Additional Information
Address: 45 Hincks St., New Hamburg Ontario, N3A 2A2
Phone: 519-662-3300
Website: http://www.livingwaterfellowshipchurch.com/
Denominational Affiliations: Mennonite Church Eastern Canada
Ordained Leaders at Living Water Community Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Lay leadership | 1981-1984 |
| Ed King | 1984-1985 |
| Elroy & Hilda Gingerich (Lay pastors) |
1985-1986 |
| Amsey Martin | 1986-1996 |
| Bob Zehr | 1996-1999 |
| Gordon Martin | 2000?-2004 |
| Craig Frere | 2005-2016 |
| Jim Whitehead (Interim) | 2016-September 2018 |
| Tim Snyder | 2015-present |
Membership at Living Water Community Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 1985 | 35 |
| 1995 | 91 |
| 2005 | 89 |
| 2015 | 86 |
Map
Map:Living Water Community Christian Fellowship (New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada)
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | May 2020 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Living Water Fellowship Church (New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2020. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Living_Water_Fellowship_Church_(New_Hamburg,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=168012.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (May 2020). Living Water Fellowship Church (New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Living_Water_Fellowship_Church_(New_Hamburg,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=168012.
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