Cedar Grove Mennonite Church (Markham, Ontario, Canada)
The Cedar Grove congregation began services in 1867, and formally organized in 1912. The grounds were used as a cemetery from as early as 1824. The first building, built by Samuel Reesor, was donated to the Mennonites in 1861. Samuel Reesor is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through immigration from the United States.
The meetinghouse was located on the west side of 10th Line of Markham Township north of Steeles Ave. Minister Lawrence Burkholder served in 1986 as a congregational leader. In 1925 there were 25 members; in 1950, 45; in 1965, 35; in 1975, 42; in 1985, 49.
Cedar Grove joined with Steeles Ave. Mennonite in 1986 to form the Rouge Valley Mennonite Church; the new group met on the former Cedar Grove site. It had been affiliated with the Mennonite Conference of Ontario since 1868, as well as the Mennonite Church. The language of worship was English; the transition from German occurred in 1882.
About 1864 a Sunday school was conducted for several years. A union Sunday school flourished from 1887 to 1896, after which a Mennonite Sunday school carried on.
Ministers prior to 1950 included Samuel Hoover, John G. Hoover, L. J. Burkholder (for 50 years) and A. Lorne Burkholder. Samuel G. Reesor, a deacon, died in the pulpit in August 1913 while leading in prayer.
Bibliography
Mennonite Reporter (7 January 1985): 12.
Burkholder, L.J. A Brief History of the Mennonites in Ontario. Kitchener, ON: Mennonite Conference of Ontario, 1935: 107-111.
Congregational Records at Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
| Author(s) | Joseph C Fretz |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1953 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Fretz, Joseph C. "Cedar Grove Mennonite Church (Markham, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Cedar_Grove_Mennonite_Church_(Markham,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=105465.
APA style
Fretz, Joseph C. (1953). Cedar Grove Mennonite Church (Markham, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Cedar_Grove_Mennonite_Church_(Markham,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=105465.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 537. All rights reserved.
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