Niagara United Mennonite Church (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada)
The Niagara United Mennonite congregation began services in 1934, and formally organized in 1938. The first building was occupied in 1937, with a subsequent building program in 1949. Peter Kroeker is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through colonization of the Niagara area by immigrants from the Soviet Union. Most of the early immigrants became fruit farmers in the Niagara district.
In 1950 there were 400 members; in 1965, 704; in 1975, 608; in 1985, 745; in 1995, 661; in 2000, 625. The congregation has been affiliated with the Conference of United Mennonite Churches of Ontario (1938-1988), Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1938-), General Conference Mennonite Church (1938-1999) and Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (1988-). In 2002 the language of worship was English and German; the transition from German began in the 1950s.
Leading ministers since 1938 have included Peter Kroeker (1938-1944), Cornelius K. Neufeld (1944-1946), Jacob A. Dyck (Aeltester, 1947-1959), Cornelius K. Neufeld (1959-1961), Peter Klassen (1960-1962), David Janzen (1961-1972), Martin Sawatzky (1972-1975), Peter Falk (1975-1982), David Janzen & Werner Fast (1982-1983), Otto Dirks (1983-2000), Willard Shertzer (2000- )
Box 909, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, L0S 1J0. (905) 468-3313. The church is located 1 km northeast of Virgil on the south side of Niagara Stone Rd.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (12 July 1966): 16.
Stobbe, Bernard. "Ein Geschichtlicher Ueberblick ueber die drei Gemeinden der Vereinigten Mennoniten in der Niagara Halbinsel." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1956, 20 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Klassen, Peter. "The Niagara United Mennonite Church." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1957, 15 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Niagara United Mennonite Church history: Eben-Ezer 25 Jahre, 1938-1963. Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON: Niagara United Mennonite Church, 1963, 46 pp.
The Niagara United Mennonite Church, 1938-1988. Niagara-on-the-Lake: Niagara United Mennonite Church, 1988, 196 pp.
Friesen, C. Alfred. Memoirs of the Virgil-Niagara Mennonites. 1984): 39-42.
Church records at the church.
Additional Information
©1996-2008 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
To cite this page:
MLA style: Dyck, J.A. and Marlene Epp. "Niagara United Mennonite Church (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 1989. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/N5347ME.html>
APA style: Dyck, J.A. and Marlene Epp. (January 1989). "Niagara United Mennonite Church (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/N5347ME.html>
