North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church (Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada)
The North Peace Mennonite Brethren congregation at Fort St. John has its origins in a successful outreach to the children of Fort St. John by the West Coast Children's Mission, beginning in 1957. As a result, it soon became apparent that a permanent ministry was needed for the families of the region. Irwin and Amanda Klaassen began Bible studies in the Aennofield area of town in 1960, and soon services were held in the Matthews Community Hall, then in various local homes and the Legion Hall. The congregation officially organized in 1962 with Peter and Betty Boschman serving as the first pastoral couple. That fall the congregation began construction on their first building, which they dedicated the following spring 1963.
Due to a rapid increase in membership, a new 280-seat sanctuary was constructed in 1972, but even this building proved too crowded after only a few years. In 1979, the congregation was forced to meet in the Finch School gym, and in that same year a new structure with a 450-seat sanctuary was erected on the adjacent lot.
In 1996 North Peace and the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Board of Church Extension worked together to plant the Aennonfield Community Church. North Peace pastor Rick Hall became pastor of the new church in 1998. Aennofield Community Church closed in 2002.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (27 July 1962): 1.
Mennonite Brethren Herald (3 February 1978): 16; (16 October 1987): 18; (27 May 1988): 30; (April 2012): 30; (January 2015): 20.
Penner, Peter. No Longer At Arms Length: Mennonite Brethren Church Planting in Canada. Winnipeg, MB: Kindred Press, 1987: 130. Available in full electronic text at: https://archive.org/stream/NoLongerAtArmsLengthMBChurchPlantingInCanadaOCRopt?ref=ol#mode/2up.
Unpublished historical sketch, 1 p., Mennonite Historical Society of Canada collection, Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
Additional Information
Address: 10816 - 106 Street, Fort St. John, BC V1J 5P2
Phone: 250-785-3869
Website: North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church
Denominational Affiliation:
British Columbia Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches (1963-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1963-present)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1963-2002)
North Peace MB Church Leading Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Irwin Klaassen | 1960-1962 |
| Peter Boschman | 1962-1966 |
| Ron Bergstrom | 1967 |
| John P. Schmidt | 1967-1977 |
| Jacob Thielmann | 1978-1981 |
| Leo Siemens | 1981-1992 |
| Wilf Richert (interim) | 1992-1993 |
| Rick Hall | 1993-1997 |
| Les Riediger | 1999-2011 |
| Aldon Loeppky (interim) | 2012-2014 |
| Andrew Eby | 2014-present |
North Peace MB Church Membership
| Year | Members | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 25 | |
| 1975 | 61 | |
| 1980 | 109 | |
| 1985 | 212 | |
| 1990 | 213 | |
| 1995 | 260 | |
| 2000 | 208 | |
| 2005 | 231 | |
| 2010 | 192 | |
| 2015 | 171 | 235 |
| 2020 | 208 | 156 |
Maps
Map:North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church (Fort St. John, BC)
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Andres Klager | |
| Date Published | June 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene and Andres Klager. "North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church (Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2023. Web. 24 Mar 2025. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Peace_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Fort_St._John,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175764.
APA style
Epp, Marlene and Andres Klager. (June 2023). North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church (Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 March 2025, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Peace_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Fort_St._John,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175764.
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