The Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference (popularly known as the Waterloo-Markham Conference) of Old Order Mennonites was formed in 1939 by the more progressive faction of the Old Order Mennonites in the Wisler communities of Ontario. In the late 1950s they used the same meetinghouses as the Old Order at Martins (St. Jacobs), in North Woolwich (Floradale), and in West Woolwich (Elmira). They had purchased the Goshen church in Peel Township and had built a new church in East Woolwich near West Montrose. Their bishop was Amsey M. Martin for the Waterloo section, with ministers Urias Martin, Noah B. Martin, Ira S. Brubacher, and George Brubacher. In the Markham section they worshiped at Altona, Almira, and the Reesor church, with Bishop Abram Smith and ministers Fred Nighswander and Cecil Reesor. They had a few members at Rainham and at Zurich. This conference took an active part in the relief program and the peace testimony and had an awakening interest in evangelism and in missions. In 1957 there were 638 members, of whom 530 were in Waterloo County in two major congregations, 105 in Markham in two major congregations, and three at Rainham.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 899. 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: