Grace New Life Mennonite Church (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)
The Grace New Life Mennonite Church in the Hamilton area began as a worshiping community in 1991, and initially was linked to the Christian Reformed Church. As the only Canadian Lao church in that denomination, they had frequent contact with Mennonite Lao groups. The congregation purchased its own facility in 2002. It was then known as the New Life Christian Community.
Sririsack Saythavy, already a pastor in Thailand before immigrating to Canada in 1990, served as the founding pastor and was its primary leader through most of its first 25 years.
Over time the congregation increased its positive relationships with the Lao Christian Fellowship in St. Catharines, and with the Lao Mennonite Conference of Canada. As early as 2006 the congregation had inquired about Mennonite affiliation. Issues over Mennonite faith and practice prevented this initially, but later these concerns were successfully resolved.
In April 2012 the congregation became an emerging congregation in Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. At that time it was a worshiping group of about 30-35 persons. The pastor was Sririsack Saythavy.
In November 2020 the congregation became a full member of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. At that time it was a congregation of approximately 45 people. They worshiped in both Lao and English. Pastor Sririsack said he preached in both English and Lao, with PowerPoint slides in both languages. Since connecting with MCEC, the congregation has developed a strong leadership board that assists with visiting and attending to the day-to-day needs of the congregation.
Bibliography
Bauman, Brian. Personal email (18 May 2012).
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. MCEC in Ministry. Kitchener, Ont.: MCEC, 2012: 5.
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. MCEC in Ministry. Kitchener, Ont.: MCEC, 2020: 14-15.
Rogalsky, Dave. "Grace New Life Mennonite turns 25, looks to future." Canadian Mennonite. 9 August 2016. Web. 23 August 2016. http://www.canadianmennonite.org/stories/grace-new-life-mennonite-turns-25-looks-future.
Additional Information
Address: 20 West Avenue North, Hamilton, ON L8P 5B8
Denominational Affiliations:
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada
Grace New Life Mennonite Church Pastors
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Sririsack Saythavy | 1991-present (In Toronto several years) |
Membership at Grace New Life Mennonite Church
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 40 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | May 2020 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Grace New Life Mennonite Church (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2020. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grace_New_Life_Mennonite_Church_(Hamilton,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=171657.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (May 2020). Grace New Life Mennonite Church (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grace_New_Life_Mennonite_Church_(Hamilton,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=171657.
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