Winterbourne Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse (West Montrose, Ontario, Canada)
The Winterbourne Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse is located at 1118 Letson Drive, RR#2, West Montrose, Ontario. The meetinghouse was built in 1965, and expanded in 1986. In 2001, the Winterbourne district was divided into two districts because of the growing number of families -- Winterbourne North and Winterbourne South.
The first ordination at the meetinghouse was for Paul Martin as Minister on 29 November 1966. Clarence Martin was the congregation's first Deacon. As is the practice in Old Order churches, they were ordained by lot from within the congregation. Ordained persons are not paid for their church service.
In 2004, the number of families in the Winterbourne district was around 80. No accurate count of members is available for most of the history of the congregation because Old Order Mennonites think of themselves as members of the church at large and not just the immediate congregation. The Old Order also do not see the quantity of members as indicative of the congregation's importance. When people move from one geographical area to another, they automatically "belong to" the congregation whose meetinghouse is closest to their home. No membership transfer takes place from the former location.
Bibliography
Mennonite Reporter (3 April 1989): 14.
Weber, Urias. New beginnings: a history of the Old Order Mennonites of Ontario. Wallenstein, Ont.: Vineyard Publications, 2018: 81-83.
Information from the congregation.
Additional Information
Table 1: Winterbourne Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse Ordained Leaders*
| Ministers | Years of Service | Deacons | Years of Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Martin1 | 29 November 1966-2001 | Clarence Martin2 | 1965-9 July 1997 |
| Alvin M. Gingrich | 5 June 2001- | Amsey Bauman3 | 3 November 1987-1997 |
| Elmer Shantz | 11 June 2002-2017 | Henry M. Brubacher | 2 June 1998- |
| James M. Martin | 8 June 2004- |
- Unless otherwise noted, the dates of service span date of ordination to date of death
1Paul Martin transferred to Martinfield in 2001.
2Clarence Martin transferred from Elmira in 1965; he was ordained in 1954.
3Amsey Bauman moved from the community in 1997.
Table 2: Winterbourne Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse Membership (in families)
| Year | Families |
| 2004 | 80 families |
| Author(s) | Anita Streicher |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 2005 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Streicher, Anita. "Winterbourne Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse (West Montrose, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 2005. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Winterbourne_Old_Order_Mennonite_Meetinghouse_(West_Montrose,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=165166.
APA style
Streicher, Anita. (2005). Winterbourne Old Order Mennonite Meetinghouse (West Montrose, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Winterbourne_Old_Order_Mennonite_Meetinghouse_(West_Montrose,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=165166.
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