South Otter Mennonite Brethren Church (Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada)
In 1943, Hilda Neufeld wrote a letter to Abe Stobbe of South Abbotsford Mennonite Brethren Church, who was working with the West Coast Children's Mission at the time, and inquired about initiating religious education in the Langley area. As a result, he asked the Langley School District if he could use South Otter Elementary School for conducting Sunday school classes. With help from South Abbotsford, Elmer Warkentin and his sister, Leslie Buehler, organized a time of teaching for the local children, but vandalism to the school forced them to re-locate to the home of Cesar Anderlini. Eventually, prayer meetings were conducted there as well, led by congregational members from South Abbotsford and McCallum Road (Central Heights) Mennonite Brethren churches.
In 1949, regular worship services were held in the Anderlini home, led by Abe Stobbe. At this time, the congregation was known as Otter Road Chapel. Soon, a mission hall was constructed in 1951 on land donated by Mr. Anderlini just south of his own home; George Konrad and John H. Enns led the worship services at this time. In February 1959, Mr. Anderlini donated additional property in order to accommodate an expansion to the existing facilities. Also at this time the congregation called its first pastor, Jake Neufeld. In March 1960, the old chapel was renovated for use as a parsonage.
The congregation applied for and was accepted into the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in 1963. In 1971, the church building was expanded by sixteen feet, but soon it was necessary to construct and attach a new sanctuary to the existing structure. The new addition was dedicated on 4 March 1980. Internal difficulties arose within the congregation in 1987 resulting in a decrease in membership from 50 to 16 people. South Otter dissolved in November 1987 and was replaced a year later by Hillside Community Church.
The church was located at 2013- 248th St., R.R.4, Aldergrove, BC, V0X 1A0.
Bibliography
Mennonite Observer (8 April 1960): 1.
Additional Information
Denominational Affiliation:
British Columbia Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches (1963-1987)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1963-1987)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1963-1987)
South Otter MB Church Leading Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Jacob "Jay" Neufeld | 1959-1962 |
| Victor Stobbe | 1963-1967 |
| Calvin Buehler | 1967-1971 |
| Herman Voth | 1971-1975 |
| David Esau | 1975-1982 |
| Carl Bracewell | 1982-1986 |
South Otter MB Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 32 |
| 1975 | 51 |
| 1981 | 71 |
| 1985 | 75 |
| 1987 | 50 |
| Author(s) | Andrew Klager |
|---|---|
| Date Published | August 2007 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Klager, Andrew. "South Otter Mennonite Brethren Church (Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2007. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=South_Otter_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Aldergrove,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=166534.
APA style
Klager, Andrew. (August 2007). South Otter Mennonite Brethren Church (Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=South_Otter_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Aldergrove,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=166534.
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