Cedar Valley Mennonite Church (Mission, British Columbia, Canada)
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| Cedar Valley Mennonite Church, Mission, BC Source: D. Giesbrecht |
The first Mennonite settlers in Mission came in 1934-1937. Nine Mennonite families began gathering together for worship services and formally organized in 1940 under the leadership of Abram J. Pankratz, their first pastor. They met in a small building on the Latter’s property on Ferndale Road and the church was named the United Mennonite Mission. In 1940 a meeting house seating 180 and measuring 30 by 24 feet was built on land donated by Abram J. Pankratz. A dedication service was held in August 1940. The members in the 1950s were largely engaged in dairying, poultry raising, and berry culture.
Construction on the second sanctuary began in 1951 when the congregation outgrew the original building. The land was donated by John Friesen. It was slowly built upon so that no debt would be incurred. Services were held in the basement until the work was completed in 1953. In 1965 Ed Goerzen was retained as the first salaried pastor. He oversaw the change from the German to the English language. This change opened the doors to the community. As a result the church soon took on a community feel. Not long after they saw the need to build a new church and a 700-seat sanctuary on the same property was constructed. It was dedicated in May 1979.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (24 November 1961): 24.
Cedar Valley Mennonite Church 50th Jubilee 1990. Mission, BC: Cedar Valley Mennonite Church, 1990.
Churches in Profile. Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, 1978: 27-31.
Information bezueglich der Vereinigten Mennoniten Gemeinden in British Columbien: Gelegentlich der Konferenz der Mennoniten in Kanada, 1959. Abbotsford, BC: The Conference, 1959: 15.
Rempel, Dick. "United Mennonite Church, Mission City, British Columbia." Research paper, CMBC, 1956, 13 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Archival Records
Records kept at Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Additional Information
Address: 32840 Janzen Ave., Mission, BC V2V 2T5; located 1 1/2 miles north of downtown Mission, off Cedar St.
Phone: 604-826-2445
Website: http://www.cedarvalley.ca/
Denominational Affiliations:
Mennonite Church British Columbia (1940-present)
Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1940-2006)
General Conference Mennonite Church (1959-1999)
Cedar Valley Mennonite Church Leading Ministers
| Minister |
Years |
|---|---|
| Abram J. Pankratz | 1940-1944 |
| Jacob W. Nickel | 1944-1946 |
| Abram J. Pankratz | 1946-1947 |
| Peter Froese | 1947-1964 |
| Ed Goerzen | 1965-1976 |
| Henry C. Born | 1977-1979 |
| George Janzen | 1980-1990 |
| Gary Loewen | 1989-1992 |
| Timothy Epp | 1992-1994 |
| Robert Cottrill | 1995-1999 |
| Waldy Klassen (interim) |
1999-2000 |
| Daniel Rempel | 2000-present |
Cedar Valley Mennonite Church Membership
| Year |
Members |
|---|---|
| 1940 |
21 |
| 1945 | 40 |
| 1950 |
96 |
| 1955 |
116 |
| 1959 |
109 |
| 1965 | 114 |
| 1975 | 192 |
| 1980 |
243 |
| 1985 | 249 |
| 1990 |
254 |
| 1995 | 285 |
| 2000 | 185 |
| 2005 |
123 |
| 2010 |
169 |
©1996-2012 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
MLA style: Tilitsky, C. G., Andrew Klager and Hugo Friesen. "Cedar Valley Mennonite Church (Mission, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2010. Web. 13 February 2012. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/C45885.html.
APA style: Tilitsky, C. G., Andrew Klager and Hugo Friesen. (July 2010). Cedar Valley Mennonite Church (Mission, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 13 February 2012, from http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/C45885.html.
