River East Mennonite Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)
The River East Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, began in 1989 as the River East Menno Gemeinde. It offered a church home for Mennonites coming to Canada from the Menno Colony in Paraguay. It conducted its services and classes in German.
In 2004, except for one couple who came to Canada via Poland and Germany, all members were born in Paraguay to Canadian citizens who had immigrated to Paraguay. Economic reasons compelled many to leave Paraguay.
In the early 2000s, the church suffered a split over divergent views on leadership roles. It restructured, with the formation of a church council.
On 1 July 2022, the River East Mennonite Church ended its membership in Mennonite Church Manitoba and Mennonite Church Canada, desiring to remove affiliation with congregations that are affirming of LGBTQ+ people.
Bibliography
Klassen-Wiebe, Nicolien. "MC Manitoba re-imagines church together at annual gathering." Canadian Mennonite 27, no. 6 (24 March 2023): 24.
Petkau, Evelyn Rempel. "River East members are citizens of two countries." Canadian Mennonite 8, no. 17 (6 September 2004). Web. https://legacy.canadianmennonite.org/vol08-2004/8-17/localchurch.html.
Additional Information
Address: 825 Panet Rd, Winnipeg,Manitoba R2K 4C9
Telephone: 204-667-0809
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Mennonite Church Manitoba (until 30 June 2022)
Mennonite Church Canada (until 30 June 2022)
Pastoral Leaders at River East Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Abram Unrau (Associate) |
1991-1998 2010?-present |
| Gerhard Friesen (Interim) | ?-2004 2010?-2012 |
| John R. Friesen (Interim) | 2005-2008 |
| Ewald Goetz | 2012-2021 |
| Brian Wiebe | 2021-present |
River East Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 172 |
| 2009 | 214 |
| 2020 | 155 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | April 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "River East Mennonite Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2023. Web. 25 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=River_East_Mennonite_Church_(Winnipeg,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=177822.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (April 2023). River East Mennonite Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=River_East_Mennonite_Church_(Winnipeg,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=177822.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.