First Mennonite Church (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada)
Mennonites began to move to the Kelowna area in the early 1940s. In 1946 Elder Jakob A. Jantzen and his family moved to the area. That year, ten families began to meet for worship, with services in the German language, in the home of G. Letkeman. In January 1947 the group began to meet in the Orange Hall. Families continued to move to the area, including minister John P. Vogt. On 23 July 1947 31 charter members accepted a newly written constitution, and in Jakob Janzen was elected to serve as elder, assisted in the ministry by John P. Vogt. The congregation affiliated with the Conference of United Mennonite Churches of British Columbia (now Mennonite Church British Columbia). The congregation’s first baptism was held on Pentecost Sunday in 1948.
A building committee was formed in 1949 and construction on a new sanctuary began on 29 March 1951. Later that year the congregation began meeting in the completed basement. Eventually the church was completed, and dedicated in October 1956.
In December 1960 a group of members left the church to form Kelowna Mennonite Mission (now Kelowna Gospel Fellowship) in order to have services in the English language.
A new church building was completed in 1989, with the first service being held 21 May 1989.
Bibliography
Churches in Profile. Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, 1978: 63-67.
Lehn, Cornelia. Frontier Challenge: A Story of the Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia. Clearbrook, BC: Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, 1990: 118-119.
Additional Information
Address: 1305 Gordon Drive, Kelowna BC V1Y 3E7
Phone: 250-762-4522
Website: http://www.kfmc.ca/
Denominational Affiliations:
Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia / Mennonite Church British Columbia (1947- )
Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1949- )
Kelowna First Mennonite Church Leading Ministers
| Minister |
Years |
|---|---|
| Jacob A. Jantzen | 1947–1972 |
| Henry Dyck | 1972–1977 |
| George Franz | 1978–1982 |
| Henry H. Epp | 1983–1986 |
| Lorin Bergen | 1987-1993 |
| David Dick | 1994-1997 |
| John Friesen (interim) |
1997-1998 |
| John Kroeker | 1998-2002 |
| Clare Neufeld | 2002-present |
Kelowna First Mennonite Church Membership
| Year |
Members |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 49 |
| 1965 | 38 |
| 1975 |
69 |
| 1985 |
71 |
| 1995 |
93 |
| 2000 |
55 |
| 2005 |
85 |
©1996-2008 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
To cite this page:
MLA style: Thiessen, Richard D. "First Mennonite Church (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2008. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 14 October 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/F565.html>
APA style: Thiessen, Richard D. (May 2008). "First Mennonite Church (Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 14 October 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/F565.html>
