Hochma (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
Hochma (a Hebrew word for practical wisdom) began in 2004 under the leadership of Michel Monette and Lyne Renaud in the low-income Hochelaga-Maisonneuve area of Montreal, Quebec. They utilized a Union Baptist building housing a congregation known as Roi des Rois (King of Kings), meeting on Sunday afternoons. During these years Michel and Lynn were members of St. Laurent Mennonite Brethren Church, and the congregation had a loose affiliation with the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.
The congregation was non-traditional, with no sermon. When attendance dropped in 2008, Hochma merged with Roi des Rois, since that congregation was also shrinking, and continued under the Roi des Rois name as an independent church.
In 2009, Lyne envisioned a church as café, a safe place to talk, where she and Michel could to walk with people, helping them to learn to know God. In 2016 they began to offer a free breakfast on Sunday mornings to anyone who would come. In 2017 they served 30-50 breakfasts on Sunday mornings, and 5-20 street people to their Sunday services.
In the 2010s the congregation reverted to the Hochma name.
The congregation formed an overnight "in from the cold" shelter just prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, its shelter grew rapidly, becoming Care Montreal, the largest shelter in the east end of Montreal. It served in an under-resourced neighborhood and was an example of serving the marginalized in their community.
In April 2017 the congregation became an "emerging congregation" in Mennonite Church Eastern Canada; it became a full member in April 2023.
Bibliography
"Hochma, Montreal, QC - Full Membership." Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. Web. 5 June 2023. https://mcec.ca/annualchurchgathering/newcongregations.
Monette, Michel. "Crossing guard of hope: a gritty story of church planting in Montreal." Canadian Mennonite 27, no. 7 (7 April 2023): 4-6.
Monette, Michel and Lyne Renaud. "Hochma: a different way to plant a church with the urban poor." Lausanne World Pulse Archives. March 2008. Web. 12 May 2017. https://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/urban-php/917/03-2008.
Monette, Michel and Lyne Renaud. "Hochma – Practical wisdom for one of Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods." Mennonite Brethren Herald 1 May 2008. Web. 12 May 2017. https://mbherald.com/hochma-practical-wisdom-for-one-of-canadas-poorest-neighbourhoods/.
Rogalsky, Dave. "Sold on God." Canadian Mennonite 21, no. 4 (13 February 2017): 9.
"This is what God told us to do." MCEC in ministry (2017): 10-11.
Additional Information
Address: 3674 Ontario Street East, Montreal, QC H1W 1R9
Phone: 514-522-1314
Website: https://www.facebook.com/hochma.org/
Denominational Affiliations: Mennonite Church Eastern Canada
Pastoral Leaders at Hochma
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Lyne Renaud | 2004-present |
| Michel Monette | 2004-present |
Membership at Hochma
| Year | Membership |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2020 | 35 |
Map
Map:Hochma (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | MJune 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Hochma (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. MJune 2023. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hochma_(Montreal,_Quebec,_Canada)&oldid=175784.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (MJune 2023). Hochma (Montreal, Quebec, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hochma_(Montreal,_Quebec,_Canada)&oldid=175784.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.