FreeChurch Toronto (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

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FreeChurch Toronto was planted in January 2001 by Todd Cantelon and Gord Marriage as Freedomize Toronto. They felt called to plant a church "for our peers, by our peers." Then meeting at St. Andrew’s on University and King, David McGhee was soon added into leadership and served for eight years as a pastor.

Later Cyril Guerette joined the team and eventually became Senior Pastor. The group moved to St. Stephen-in-the-Fields in the Kensington neighbourhood in 2009.

Jon Osmond joined the leadership team in 2013, the same year FreeChurch became an associate member of the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

The group has always seen itself as an outreach to young adults, both professional and students. In 2017 it has services at two locations. The worship services in 2017 incorporated a variety of musical and artistic elements including indy-rock, spoken word, and hiphop. FreeChurch's mission statement in 2017 was: "To Be a Light in Our City: Loving God and Loving Our Neighbours."

On 14 October 2022, FreeChurch Toronto was suspended by the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches based on their articulated position on full inclusion of members of the LGBTQ community and their desire to be a fully affirming church. The church was formally removed from membership in the Ontario MB Conference on 25 February 2023.

In April 2024, FreeChurch Toronto became a provisional member of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada.

Bibliography

"FreeChurch Joins MCEC." Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. 24 April 2024. Web. https://mcec.ca/article/23210-freechurch-joins-mcec.

"History." FreeChurch Toronto. 2016. Web. 30 January 2017. http://freechurch.ca/?page_id=124

Longhurst, John. "Ontario MB Leader Ousted; Two Congregations Suspended." Anabaptist World. 14 November 2022. Web. https://anabaptistworld.org/ontario-mb-leader-ousted-two-congregations-suspended/.

Longhurst, John. "Southridge Community Church, Toronto FreeChurch Removed from Membership in Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches." Time to Tell. 27 February 2023. Web. 4 March 2023. https://timetotellcanada.blogspot.com/2023/02/southridge-community-church-toronto.html.

Additional Information

Address: Centre for Social Innovation - Annex (720 Bathurst Street, Toronto ON (10:30 service in the Annex Theatre).

Phone:

Website: http://freechurch.ca/

Denominational Affiliations:

Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (Until 2023)

Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (Until 2023)

Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (2024- )

Mennonite Church Canada (2024- )

Pastoral Leaders at FreeChurch

Name Years
of Service
Todd Cantelon 2001-2006
Gord Marriage 2001-2006?
David McGhee 2002?-2009?
Cyril Guerette 2006-2018
Jon Osmond 2013-


Author(s) Samuel J Steiner
Date Published April 2024

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "FreeChurch Toronto (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2024. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=FreeChurch_Toronto_(Toronto,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=178720.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (April 2024). FreeChurch Toronto (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=FreeChurch_Toronto_(Toronto,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=178720.



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