Harbour of Hope Chapel (Port Edward, British Columbia, Canada)
Harbour of Hope Chapel in Port Edward, British Columbia (BC) was able to come into existence because of the groundwork that was laid by Harvey and Eva Enns, a couple that was sent by Canada Inland Mission (CIM). Harvey and Eva assessed the spiritual needs of the region from Burns Lake to Prince Rupert, BC by traversing the area in a little travel trailer with the intent on identifying a suitable location for permanent ministry. After staying in Port Edward, distributing Christian literature and initiating a very rudimentary and underdeveloped ministry, Harvey and Eva left in 1952.
In the summer of that year, Anne Isaak and Anne Neufeld, school teachers from Yarrow, came to Port Edward. After a strong inclination that a permanent ministry needed to be established in the area, the "two Annes," as they would soon to be known as, thought it prudent to purchase a parcel of land with a two-room shack and a second building that could be combined to form a modest place of worship. However, the "two Annes" were unaware that at the same time Canada Inland Mission was planning on purchasing land. So, with the arrival of Jacob Bergen, CIM purchased some property with a small shack for $1,200, alleviating the "two Annes" of this burden. Nevertheless, the "two Annes" were instrumental in the development of the ministry in Port Edward in other ways. Services were initially held in a local community hall with Jacob Bergen leading the congregation, and soon a church building was constructed in 1954. In 1962, the congregation applied and was accepted as a member of the British Columbia Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches.
The work was largely successful among the children with the congregation remaining relatively small, having 24 members in 1965 and 6 in 1975. Christian teachers in the local school district were very much involved in the work of this church through the years.
The church dissolved in 1983 after Prince Rupert Community Chapel (later Cornerstone Mennonite Brethren Church) was started as a daughter congregation in Prince Rupert in 1981 and members eventually chose to attend that church.
Bibliography
Longhurst, John. "Strong Commitment at Harbour of Hope." Mennonite Brethren Herald (29 January 1982): 12.
Penner, Peter. Reaching the Otherwise Unreached: An Historical Account of the West Coast Children's Mission of B.C. Clearbrook, BC: West Coast Children's Mission of B.C., [1959].
Additional Information
Address: 557 Harbourview Dr., Port Edward, BC
Denominational Affiliations:
British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1981-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1981-present)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1981-2002)
Harbour of Hope Chapel Leading Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Jacob Bergen | 1952-1958 |
| Henry Thiessen | 1958-1959 |
| John Goertz | 1959-1963 |
| John Schmidt | 1964-1967 |
| Arnold Falk | 1967-1968 |
| Walter Friesen | 1969-1971 |
| John R. Dick | 1971-1972 |
| Reg Bennett | 1973-1976 |
| Menno E. Friesen | 1976-1981 |
| Allen Davis | 1981-1983 |
Harbour of Hope Chapel Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 9 |
| 1965 | 24 |
| 1970 | 15 |
| 1975 | 6 |
| 1980 | 16 |
| 1983 | 5 |
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Hugo Friesen | |
| Andrew Klager | |
| Date Published | June 2008 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene, Hugo Friesen and Andrew Klager. "Harbour of Hope Chapel (Port Edward, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2008. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Harbour_of_Hope_Chapel_(Port_Edward,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=167245.
APA style
Epp, Marlene, Hugo Friesen and Andrew Klager. (June 2008). Harbour of Hope Chapel (Port Edward, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Harbour_of_Hope_Chapel_(Port_Edward,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=167245.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.