Cedar Grove Mennonite Church (Markham, Ontario, Canada)
R.R. 1, Markham, ON, L3P 3J2. Located on the west side of 10th Line of Markham Township north of Steeles Ave. Minister Lawrence Burkholder served in 1986 as a congregational leader. In 1925 there were 25 members; in 1950, 45; in 1965, 35; in 1975, 42; in 1985, 49. The congregation joined with Steeles Ave. Mennonite in 1986 to form the Rouge Valley Mennonite Church. It had been affiliated with the Mennonite Conference of Ontario since 1868, as well as the Mennonite Church. The language of worship was English; the transition from German occurred in 1882.
The congregation began services in 1867, and formally organized in 1912. The grounds were used as a cemetery from as early as 1824. The first building, built by Samuel Reesor, was donated to the Mennonites in 1861. Samuel Reesor is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through immigration from the United States.
About 1864 a Sunday school was conducted for several years. A union Sunday school flourished from 1887 to 1896, after which a Mennonite Sunday school carried on.
Ministers prior to 1950 included Samuel Hoover, John G. Hoover, L. J. Burkholder (for fifty years) and A. Lorne Burkholder. Samuel G. Reesor, a deacon, died in the pulpit in August 1913 while leading in prayer.
Bibliography
Mennonite Encyclopedia, "Cedar Grove."
Mennonite Reporter (7 January 1985): 12.
Burkholder, L.J. A Brief History of the Mennonites in Ontario. Kitchener, ON: Mennonite Conference of Ontario, 1935: 107-111.
Congregational Records at Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
Additional Information
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 537. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.
©1996-2008 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
To cite this page:
MLA style: Fretz, Joseph C. "Cedar Grove Mennonite Church (Markham, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 13 May 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/C458.html>
APA style: Fretz, Joseph C. (1953). "Cedar Grove Mennonite Church (Markham, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 13 May 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/C458.html>
