Chilliwack Mennonite Mission (Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada)
The Chilliwack Mennonite Mission Church (also known as First Mennonite Mission Church) began services in May 1959. It was started by mostly young couples from the First Mennonite Church in Chilliwack who desired English language services. The group purchased the old municipal hall from the Township of Chilliwhack on Alexander Avenue in 1960 and was led by Albert Nickel. The church was formally organized on 15 October 1961 with a charter membership of 17. The organizational service was led by N. N. Friesen, representing the Conference of Mennonites in Canada Mission Board. The Conference of Mennonites in Canada supported the young group, believing that there was room in Chilliwack for another Mennonite congregation.
Attendance in 1964 ranged from 60-86, with 15 members. David J. Nickel became pastor in 1964 and led the congregation until 1969.
The Conference of the United Mennonite Churches of British Columbia only recognized the group in 1966, providing it with moral and financial support. While the property was registered in the name of the provincial conference, the congregation chose not to join the provincial conference.
By the time David Nickel resigned in 1969, the congregation realized that there was no need to continue. Other Mennonite congregations were offering English language services, and the church was no longer growing with only 33 members and an attendance of 75. The congregation dissolved and most rejoined the First Mennonite Church on 31 March 1969, which then changed its name to become Chilliwack Mennonite Church, while others moved to Eden Mennonite Church.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (24 November 1961): 10.
Lehn, Cornelia. Frontier Challenge: A Story of the Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia. Clearbrook, BC: Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, 1990: 177.
Unger, Rosalyn. "One Decade, a Lifetime: The History of the Chilliwack Mission Church, 1959-69." Unpublished Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1972, 28 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Unger, W. "Final Report to the Annual Meeting from the Chilliwack Mission Church." In Reports and Recommendations to the 35th Conference of the United Mennonite Churches of British Columbia, February 6 and 7, 1970: 15.
Archival Records
Chilliwack Mennonite Mission fonds in the Mennonite Historical Society of BC archival collection.
Additional Information
Address: 45910 Alexander Ave., Chilliwack, BC
| Author(s) | Hugo Friesen |
|---|---|
| Richard D. Thiessen | |
| Date Published | April 2011 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Friesen, Hugo and Richard D. Thiessen. "Chilliwack Mennonite Mission (Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2011. Web. 24 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Chilliwack_Mennonite_Mission_(Chilliwack,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=171184.
APA style
Friesen, Hugo and Richard D. Thiessen. (April 2011). Chilliwack Mennonite Mission (Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Chilliwack_Mennonite_Mission_(Chilliwack,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=171184.
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