Kelowna Gospel Fellowship (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada)

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Kelowna Gospel Fellowship
Source: Church website

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. 11 Oct 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 11 October 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kelowna_Gospel_Fellowship_(Kelowna,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175717.




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