North Bend Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse (Chesley, Ontario, Canada)
The North Bend Old Order Mennonite meetinghouse is located in Bruce County, Arran-Elderslie municipality, at the south end of lot 16, concession 12, on Sideroad 15, immediately south of County Road 40, about 12 km northwest of Chesley, Ontario.
Old Order Mennonites began settling west and northwest of the Mount Forest area in the early 1990s, as part of the continuing movement in that direction from Waterloo County. The expansion of urban areas of Waterloo County into the Old Order community and the rising cost of agricultural land there led to the settlement of the Mount Forest area in the 1960s, and the Old Order Mennonite community has continued to grow, expanding into parts of Grey, Bruce, and Huron counties.
The North Bend meetinghouse was built in 1998 after the first families moved to the area in 1993. By 1998 there were around 18 families in the church district. Paul H. Martin was ordained as the congregation's first minister in 1999, and Mannasseh Martin was ordained as the first deacon in 2000. Lloyd Shantz was ordained as minister in 2000. As is the practice among Old Order Mennonites, they were ordained by lot from within the congregation. Paul Martin's ordination was unusual, since he was not yet married at the time he became a minister.
In 2004, there were approximately 31 families in the North Bend district. An accurate count of "members" is not always available because Old Order Mennonites think of themselves as members of the church at large and not just the immediate congregation. People automatically "belong" to the congregation whose meetinghouse is closest to their home.
Bibliography
Information from the church.
Weber, Urias. New beginnings: a history of the Old Order Mennonites of Ontario. Wallenstein, Ont.: Vineyard Publications, 2018: 154-161.
Additional Information
Table 1: North Bend Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse Ordained Leaders
| Ministers | Years of Service | Deacons | Years of Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul H. Martin | 1 June 1999- | Mannasseh Martin | 12 June 2001-2006 |
| Lloyd M. Shantz | 20 June 2000-2006 | David B. Rudy | 12 June 2007- |
| Author(s) | Anita Streicher |
|---|---|
| Date Published | October 2019 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Streicher, Anita. "North Bend Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse (Chesley, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2019. Web. 20 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Bend_Old_Order_Mennonite_Meetinghouse_(Chesley,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=165411.
APA style
Streicher, Anita. (October 2019). North Bend Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse (Chesley, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 20 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Bend_Old_Order_Mennonite_Meetinghouse_(Chesley,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=165411.
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