Rehoboth Evangelical Church (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Kassa Lemma spent his first three months in Canada living in a shelter. He was disturbed by the confusion and depression he found in many of those around him, and developed a vision to provide help, especially to Ethiopian immigrants like himself within the total Ethiopian community of 80,000 persons in Greater Toronto. He and another Ethiopian immigrant began visiting subway stations in Toronto, Ontario and inviting people to join them. Thus the Rehoboth Evangelical Church was formed in June 2005. (Rehoboth is mentioned in Genesis 26:22.) Pastor Kassa Lemma, who had 10 years of pastoral experience before coming to Canada, was familiar with the Mennonite church (Meserete Kristos Church) in Ethiopia and contacted Mennonite Church Canada. They put him in touch with Mennonite Church Eastern Canada staff. The congregation became an emerging congregation within Mennonite Church Eastern Canada in April 2009.
In 2009 the congregation rented space in the Danforth Baptist Church, and met there Sunday afternoons. The service is in Amharic, and a fellowship time follows each service. In July 2008 the worshiping group included 45-50 persons.
In 2017 Rehoboth Evangelical Church withdrew from Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, and affiliated with a Baptist group.
Bibliography
"Congregational milestones." MCEC Discernment Documents. (2017): 47.
Rogalsky, Dave. "Street Evangelist Moves Inside." Canadian Mennonite (7 July 2008): 15-16. Available online at http://www.canadianmennonite.org/vol12-2008/12-14/12-14small_185_2008-07-07.pdf
"Welcome to Rehoboth Evangelical Church." 22nd Annual Church Gathering Workbook. Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (24-25 April 2009): 28.
Additional Information
Meeting Address: Danforth Baptist Church, 60 Bowden Street, Toronto, Ontario
Denominational Affiliations:
Ordained Leaders at Rehoboth Evangelical Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Kassa Lemma | 2005-2017 |
| Author(s) | Sam Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | April 2009 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Sam. "Rehoboth Evangelical Church (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2009. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Rehoboth_Evangelical_Church_(Toronto,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=148017.
APA style
Steiner, Sam. (April 2009). Rehoboth Evangelical Church (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Rehoboth_Evangelical_Church_(Toronto,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=148017.
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