Kelowna Gospel Fellowship (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada)
Kelowna Mennonite Mission Church began services on 30 October 1960 in the Kelowna Women’s Institute Hall and was formally organized in 1961. The congregation originated through division from Kelowna First Mennonite over language and personality issues. Some members left Kelowna First Mennonite in order to increase outreach by using English exclusively in worship. Jacob H. Enns and John P. Vogt are considered the founding leaders of the group. The group met in various locations including the Kelowna Women's Institute Hall and a Baptist Church. In 1966 they purchased their own meeting house at the corner of Ethel and Stockwell and changed their name to Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Church. For six months in 1966 they shared the building with the Mennonite Brethren congregation. A subsequent building program was undertaken in 1978, with a new sanctuary completed in 1980.
The congregation has operated a local Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Thrift and Self-help store with other Mennonite congregations in Kelowna, and has offered a number of seminars dealing with issues like evangelism, discipleship, and youth conflict.
Kelowna Gospel Fellowship's relationship with Mennonite Church Canada had become strained over a number of years due to theological differences. The congregation withdrew from Mennonite Church Canada in 2000 and Mennonite Church British Columbia in 2004 and joined the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches and the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches that year.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (10 February 1961): 3; (5 April 2004): 13; (14 June 2004).
Churches in Profile. Clearbrook, BC: Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, 1978: 68-72.
Mennonite Brethren Herald (11 June 2004): 15.
Mennonite Reporter (7 January 1991): 4; (15 April 1996): 10.
Additional Information
Address: 3714 Gordon Drive, Kelowna, BC V1W 4M8
Phone: 250-763-6553
Website: Kelowna Gospel Fellowship
Denominational Affiliations:
Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia (1961-2004)
Conference of Mennonites in Canada (1962-2000)
British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (2004-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (2004-present)
Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Leading Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Jacob H. Enns | 1961-1977 |
| John P. Vogt | 1961-1971 |
| Harold Dirks | 1971-1973 |
| Ronald Daku | 1974-1979 |
| Malvin Braun | 1980-1988 |
| Doug Epp (interim) | 1988-1989 |
| Larry Schram | 1989-2006 |
| Kelly Dean Cochrane | 2007-2009 |
| Mike Penninga | 2009-2018 |
| Phil Wagler | 2019-2022 |
| Shawn Klassen | 2023-present |
Kelowna Gospel Fellowship Membership
| Year | Members | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 35 | |
| 1970 | 57 | |
| 1975 | 77 | |
| 1980 | 126 | |
| 1985 | 171 | |
| 1990 | 169 | |
| 1995 | 185 | |
| 2000 | 199 | |
| 2002 | 222 | |
| 2005 | 196 | |
| 2010 | 211 | 306 |
| 2015 | 359 | 639 |
| 2020 | 252 | 300 |
Maps
Map:Kelowna Gospel Fellowship (Kelowna, BC)
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Hugo Friesen | |
| Date Published | May 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene and Hugo Friesen. "Kelowna Gospel Fellowship (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2023. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kelowna_Gospel_Fellowship_(Kelowna,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175717.
APA style
Epp, Marlene and Hugo Friesen. (May 2023). Kelowna Gospel Fellowship (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kelowna_Gospel_Fellowship_(Kelowna,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175717.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.