Iglesia Menonita Nueva Vida, La (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
The New Life Faith Community (La Iglesia Menonita Nueva Vida) in Toronto began services in 1983 when Adolfo and Betty Puricelli began holding Bible studies in their home soon after beginning their work with the Toronto Mennonite New Life Centre, which served the needs of refugees arriving in Canada from Latin America. The Purcellis were commissioned for ministering to refugees in 1984 by the Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario.
On 22 November 1984 the congregation more formally organized as church. They began meeting in St. Luke's Anglican Church on Sunday afternoons in 1987, and was called the New Life Faith Community.
In 1997 the congregation dedicated a building shared with the Toronto United Mennonite Church and the Mennonite New Life Centre. The "sharing" included joint ownership of the facility.
Partly because of the transitory nature of refugees—whether because of moves to join family living elsewhere, work opportunities, or deportation—the congregation remained small, standing at 57 members in 2010. Hispanic cultural heritage influenced the nature of the New Life Faith Community’s worship—the eucharist was celebrated monthly and differing types of services were offered Sundays and Wednesday evenings. Healing services were held six times a year.
Adolfo and Betty Puricelli retired in 2013, after that time the congregation was led by non-ordained lay leaders. Pablo Kim-Sun was licensed toward ordination to serve as pastor in March 2019.
Bibliography
Kidd, Joelle. "Pablo Kim-Sun...." Canadian Mennonite 23, no. 11 (27 May 2019): 34.
Mennonite Reporter (6 February 1984): 14; (18 January 1988):4; (2 October 1989): 13; (28 July 1997): 2.
Additional Information
Address: 1774 Queen St. East, Toronto, Ontario M4L 1G7
Phone: 416-699-4527
Website:
Denominational Affiliations: Mennonite Church Canada
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada
Pastoral Leaders at Toronto Mennonite New Life Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Adolfo Puricelli | 1984-2013 |
| Betty Puricelli | 1984-2013 |
| Lili Hurtarte | 2014-? |
| Pablo Kim-Sun | 2019-present |
Membership at Toronto Mennonite New Life Church
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1987 | 15 |
| 2000 | 57 |
| 2010 | 57 |
| 2015 | 57 |
| 2020 | 30 |
Map
Map:Toronto Mennonite New Life Church (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | August 2016 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Iglesia Menonita Nueva Vida, La (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2016. Web. 24 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Iglesia_Menonita_Nueva_Vida,_La_(Toronto,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=171704.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (August 2016). Iglesia Menonita Nueva Vida, La (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Iglesia_Menonita_Nueva_Vida,_La_(Toronto,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=171704.
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