Cedar Park Church (Delta, British Columbia, Canada)
Cedar Park Church began in 1978 under the leadership of John Schmidt and formally organized in 1979 through the outreach of local individuals from the Delta, British Columbia area. Initially known as Delta Mennonite Brethren Church until 1984, the newly formed congregation originally met in the Delta Secondary School library for worship services. Cedar Park eventually found itself in a position to occupy its own building in 1988. The congregation joined the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in 1980.
In 2021 the congregation had a membership of 150 and an average attendance of 120.
In February 2022 pastor Lee Kosa and associate pastors Darren DeMelo and Megan Simpson all submitted their resignations. Their reasons included a disagreement over the nature of the Mennonite Brethren Confession of Faith. This followed a requirement by the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches that all pastors reaffirm the Confession of Faith, with a focus on articles dealing with sexuality and marriage. In the days that followed, most of the congregation's elders resigned and a majority of the congregation's members left the church. A group of approximately 100 former members and attendees began to meet for fellowship over the summer, and by the fall of 2022, the group had chosen the name Estuary and had engaged the services of former Cedar Park pastoral staff, including Lee Kosa.
Bibliography
Historical sketch on bulletin of Dedication Sunday, 12 June 1988. MHSC collection, Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
Longhurst, John. "3 MB Pastors Resign Over LGBTQ, Role of Confession." Anabaptist World. Web. 16 March 2022. https://anabaptistworld.org/3-mb-pastors-resign-over-lgbtq-role-of-confession/.
Longhurst, John. "Update on Cedar Park Church." Time to Tell. Web. 7 September 2022. https://timetotellcanada.blogspot.com/2022/09/update-on-cedar-park-church.html.
Mennonite Brethren Herald (27 May 1988): 21; (May 2011): 32.
Additional Information
Address: 5300 - 44th Ave., Delta, BC V4K 1C7
Phone: 604-946-7410
Website: Cedar Park Church
Denominational Affiliations:
British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1980-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1980-present)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1980-2002)
Cedar Park Church Leading Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| John Schmidt | 1978-1982 |
| Garry Prieb | 1983-1988 |
| Ray Bystrom | 1989-1991 |
| Doug Schultz | 1992-1997 |
| Dave Esau | 1997-2011 |
| Lee Kosa | 2013-2022 |
Cedar Park Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 45 |
| 1985 | 53 |
| 1991 | 108 |
| 1995 | 113 |
| 2000 | 111 |
| 2005 | 131 |
| 2010 | 163 |
| 2015 | 180 |
| 2021 | 150 |
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Andrew Klager | |
| Date Published | November 2022 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene and Andrew Klager. "Cedar Park Church (Delta, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2022. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Cedar_Park_Church_(Delta,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=174303.
APA style
Epp, Marlene and Andrew Klager. (November 2022). Cedar Park Church (Delta, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Cedar_Park_Church_(Delta,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=174303.
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