Mountain Park Community Church (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada)
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| Mountain Park Community Church Source: David Giesbrecht |
Mountain Park Community Church originated through the outreach of the British Columbia Mennonite Brethren Board of Extension who, along with local families, desired to plant a church to serve the needs of East Abbotsford. On 29 April 1991, approximately 140 local people attended the first "interest meeting" at Nazarene Church on McMillan Road. Many of the families came out of the Central Heights congregation.
Mountain Park had their first worship service on 8 September 1991 in the rented gymnasium of Yale Secondary School. After purchasing 7.44 acres of land for constructing their first church building, the congregation soon occupied its first building in December 1994.
After experiencing strong growth throughout the 1990s, the congregation suffered a significant decline in membership. As a result, the congregation struggled financially to the extent that it was necessary for the congregation to give up ownership of its building. The building was sold to the Abbotsford School District in January 2004 and converted into a school (eventually becoming the Abbotsford School of Integrated Arts). The congregation was able to eliminate its debt and secure exclusive use of their former sanctuary on weekends for 25 years for the price of $1.00 a year. Offices are located in a separate building on the campus.
Bibliography
Mennonite Brethren Herald (28 June 1991): 15; (8 November 1991): 14; (17 July 1992): 15-16; (26 August 1994): 19; (24 February 1995): 17; (June 10, 2005) http://www.mbherald.com/44/08/aligning.en.html (accessed 27 August 2009).
Additional Information
Address: 36228 Lower Sumas Mountain Road, Abbotsford BC V3G 2J3
Telephone: (604) 855-0911
Website: Mountain Park Community Church
Denominational Affiliations:
British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1991-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1991-present)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
Mountain Park Community Church Leading Ministers
| Minister |
Years |
|---|---|
| Herb Neufeld |
1991-1996 |
| Terry Kaethler |
1996-present |
Mountain Park Community Church Membership
| Year |
Members |
|---|---|
| 1993 | 201 |
| 1996 | 274 |
| 1999 | 391 |
| 2003 | 212 |
| 2005 | 225 |
©1996-2009 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
MLA style: Thiessen, Richard D. "Mountain Park Community Church (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2009. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2009 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/M691.html>
APA style: Thiessen, Richard D. (October 2009). "Mountain Park Community Church (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2009 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/M691.html>
