Lao Mennonite Church of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)
In 1997 Pastor Tong of Mountain Lake, Minnesota came to Winnipeg and met with a group of Laotian Christians and representatives from the Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba and the Conference of Mennonites in Canada to explore the possiblity of starting a Laotian Church. Some of the Mennonites leaders involved were Tym Elias, Director of Outreach Ministries, Conference of Mennonite in Canada, Peter Janzen, Abe Neufeld and John Wiebe. The first worship service took place at Easter 1997 in the Home Street Mennonite Church. During the first year Pastor Tong came once a month to conduct services. It was hoped that he would come and pastor the new church, but that would have left the Mountain Lake group without a leader, so the group began asking if each other if someone was interested in studying the Bible with the intent of giving leadership.
Thanks to the work of Peter Janzen, the group was officially organized and registered with a set of by-laws by May 1998. It took 4 or 5 meetings for them to agreed to the name "Lao Mennonite Church of Manitoba."
During the 2nd year Abe Neufeld and Peter Janzen preached and the group continued to pray for a leader. Onong Prasong was the chairman of the group during these first two years. After 2 years, Onong recognized the call, and accepted to take the Bible Studies. He also enrolled in courses at Canadian Mennonite Bible College. Onong has led the group since that time.
On Sunday, 20 May 2007, the Lao Mennonite Church of Manitoba held a 10th Anniversary Celebration Service. Guests from Steinbach, Portage la Prairie, MacGregor, and Winnipeg filled the basement of the Home Street Mennonite Church for a two hour service followed by a pot luck fellowship meal. They celebrated their founding and development through music, singing and preaching. They have celebrated baptisms, weddings, communion services, Christmas programs, child dedication, funerals and other departures over the ten years.
The Lao Mennonite Church is characterized by the care they show for their people, their love of singing and their informal style of worship. Pastor Onong Prasong is loved by them as a friend, brother and pastor.
Bibliography
"Lao Mennonite Church of Manitoba (1997-2007): 10th Anniversary Celebration Service" [bulletin]. 20 May 2007.
Additional Information
Meeting address: 318 Home Street, Winnipeg, MB (lower level)
| Author(s) | Alf Redekopp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | March 2013 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Redekopp, Alf. "Lao Mennonite Church of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2013. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Lao_Mennonite_Church_of_Manitoba_(Winnipeg,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=83056.
APA style
Redekopp, Alf. (March 2013). Lao Mennonite Church of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Lao_Mennonite_Church_of_Manitoba_(Winnipeg,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=83056.
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