Difference between revisions of "Toronto United Mennonite Church (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)"

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The [[Toronto (Ontario, Canada)|Toronto]] United Mennonite congregation began services in 1930s, and formally organized in 1948. The first building was occupied in 1956, with a subsequent building program in 1997. Prior to 1956 the congregation met in homes. H. A. Claassen is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through urbanization from rural [[Ontario (Canada)|Ontario]] beginning 1928.
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In 1941 the [[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite Church]] discussed beginning a mission in [[Toronto (Ontario, Canada)|Toronto]], [[Ontario (Canada)|Ontario]], [[Canada]]. Partly as a result, Mennonite evangelist [[Esau, John J. (1900-1979)|John J. Esau]], then based in [[Bluffton (Ohio, USA)|Bluffton]], [[Ohio (USA)|Ohio]], visited Ontario in 1942, and was the first Mennonite minister to attract to a meeting a broad spectrum of [[Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario|United Mennonites]], mostly from the 1920s migration from the Soviet Union to Canada, living in the Toronto area.  
  
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The language of worship is English; the transition from German occurred in the 1940s.
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From this beginning [[Janzen, Jacob H. (1878-1950)|Bishop Jacob H. Janzen]] of [[Waterloo (Ontario, Canada)|Waterloo]] arranged for regular Sunday English-language services. For a year these services were held in homes with visiting ministers from outside the city. With overcrowding, services shifted to a Lutheran church. In September 1943 Arnold Fast of [[South Dakota (USA)|South Dakota]] became the first local minister. In 1945 a residence was purchased at 140 Victor Avenue, and in 1948 the Toronto United Mennonite Mission formally organized with 11 members. Despite its name, the mission served mainly those of United Mennonite background living in the city. It later became known as the Toronto United Mennonite Church (TUMC).
  
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In 1997 Toronto United Mennonite shared space with the [[New Life Faith Community (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)|New Life Faith Community]] in a new facility.
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The main floor of the Victor Avenue building became the sanctuary, and the upper floor an apartment of the pastor. H. A. Claassen was the first pastor in this context.
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In 1956 the congregation built a church at the present location. It was designed by Vic Heinrichs, an architecture student, with the first service held 9 December 1956, though the building was not completed until June 1961.
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In September 1978, the congregation began a long involvement with refugees. That month the United Mennonite Conference’s mission and service committee, chaired by Peter Falk, appealed to its congregations to send relief goods via TUMC to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam in Canada, located in Toronto, for distribution to newly arriving refugees. TUMC soon began sponsoring refugees, and has continued to do so over the decades. An extension of this refugee engagement began in 1988 when the congregation began to share space with the Mennonite New Life Centre.
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In 1979 the Toronto United Mennonite Church partnered with the [[Danforth Mennonite Church (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)|Danforth Mennonite Church]] to create the St. Clair O'Connor Mennonite Community, a residential complex that combined townhouses for young families with seniors’ apartments and nursing home care. That facility opened in 1983.
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In the early 1980s helped to foster the creation of the [[Mississauga Mennonite Fellowship (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)|Mississauga Mennonite Fellowship]].
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After years of pondering space issues and seeking a potential move, TUMC, in partnership with the Toronto Mennonite New Life Centre and [[Toronto Mennonite New Life Church (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)|Mennonite New Life Church of Toronto]], erected a new multi-purpose facility on the same property after taking down the original building.
 +
 
 +
In the early 2000s TUMC went through difficult times of discernment on LGBTQ issues in relation to persons in congregational leadership.
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 +
On the home page of it website in 2017, the Toronto United Mennonite Church said that it was a Christian community in the Mennonite-Anabaptist “peace church” tradition, that aspired to be a family of faith that welcomed people with diverse backgrounds and stories, worshipping together and supporting one another, while following Christ’s example in working for peace and justice in its urban context.
 
= Bibliography =
 
= Bibliography =
−
<em class="gameo_bibliography">Mennonite Reporter</em> (30 May 1977): 11; (28 July 1997): 2.
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''25th Anniversary Year: Toronto United Mennonite Church.''1974, 11 pp.
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 +
''CMC Nexus'' (October 1996): 10.
 +
 
 +
Dueck, Erwin. "The Menno-House Toronto." ''Jahrbuch der Vereinigten Mennoniten Gemeinden in Ontario, Canada'' (1956): 32-33.
 +
 
 +
''Mennonite Reporter'' (30 May 1977): 11; (28 July 1997): 2.
 +
 
 +
"Our History." Toronto United Mennonite Church. 2016. Web. 16 January 2017. http://tumc.ca/?page_id=140.
  
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<em class="gameo_bibliography">CMC Nexus</em> (October 1996): 10.
+
Sawatzky, John C. "Church building in Toronto." ''Jahrbuch der Vereinigten Mennoniten Gemeinden in Ontario, Canada'' (1956): 31-32.
  
 
Unpublished congregational history, 1960, 2 pp. [http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/programs/archives/index.htm  Mennonite Heritage Centre]
 
Unpublished congregational history, 1960, 2 pp. [http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/programs/archives/index.htm  Mennonite Heritage Centre]
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<em class="gameo_bibliography">25th Anniversary Year: Toronto United Mennonite Church. </em>1974, 11 pp.
 
 
= Additional Information =
 
= Additional Information =
 
'''Address''': 1774 Queen St. East, Toronto, ON M4L 1G7; the church is located at Queen and Lark Streets.
 
'''Address''': 1774 Queen St. East, Toronto, ON M4L 1G7; the church is located at Queen and Lark Streets.
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'''Denominational Affiliations''':
 
'''Denominational Affiliations''':
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[https://mcec.ca/ Mennonite Church Eastern Canada Conference]
  
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[[Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario|Conference of United Mennonite Churches of Ontario]] (1948-1988)
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[http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/ Mennonite Church Canada]
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== Toronto United Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders ==
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[[Mennonite Church Eastern Canada|Mennonite Church Eastern Canada]] (1988-present)
 
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Conference of Mennonites in Canada / [[Mennonite Church Canada|Mennonite Church Canada]]
 
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General Conference Mennonite Church (1956-1999)
 
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=== Toronto United Mennonite Church Leading Ministers ===
 
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Minister !! Years of Service
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! Name !! Years of Service
 
|-
 
|-
 
| H. A. Claassen || align="right" | 1948
 
| H. A. Claassen || align="right" | 1948
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| Nicholas "Nick" Dick || align="right" | 1961-1968
 
| Nicholas "Nick" Dick || align="right" | 1961-1968
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Ed &amp; Marianne Enns (lay leaders) || align="right" | 1968-1969
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| Ed & Marianne Enns (lay leaders) || align="right" | 1968-1969
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Helmut Harder (interim) || align="right" | 1969-1970
 
| Helmut Harder (interim) || align="right" | 1969-1970
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|-
 
|-
 
| Gary Harder || align="right" | 1987-2007
 
| Gary Harder || align="right" | 1987-2007
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|-
 +
| Shannon Neufeldt (associate) || align="right" | 1999-2003
 +
|-
 +
| Jonathan Slater (associate) || align="right" | 2005-2012
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|-
 +
| Maureen Louth || align="right" | 2005-2012
 
|-
 
|-
 
| David Brubacher (interim) || align="right" | 2007-2009
 
| David Brubacher (interim) || align="right" | 2007-2009
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Marilyn Zehr || align="right" | 2009-present
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| Marilyn Zehr || align="right" | 2009-June 2017
 +
|-
 +
| Michele Rizoli (associate) || align="right" | 2013-present
 
|}
 
|}
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=== Toronto United Mennonite Church Membership ===
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== Toronto United Mennonite Church Membership ==
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
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| 2000 || align="right" | 184
 
| 2000 || align="right" | 184
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 2011 || align="right" | 195
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| 2008 || align="right" | 203
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|-
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| 2015 || align="right" | 201
 
|}
 
|}
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=October 2013|a1_last=Epp|a1_first=Marlene|a2_last= |a2_first= }}
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{{GAMEO_footer|hp=|date=January 2017|a1_last=Steiner|a1_first=Sam|a2_last= |a2_first= }}
 
[[Category:Churches]]
 
[[Category:Churches]]
 
[[‎Category:Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario Congregations]]
 
[[‎Category:Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario Congregations]]

Revision as of 14:42, 11 May 2017

In 1941 the General Conference Mennonite Church discussed beginning a mission in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Partly as a result, Mennonite evangelist John J. Esau, then based in Bluffton, Ohio, visited Ontario in 1942, and was the first Mennonite minister to attract to a meeting a broad spectrum of United Mennonites, mostly from the 1920s migration from the Soviet Union to Canada, living in the Toronto area.

From this beginning Bishop Jacob H. Janzen of Waterloo arranged for regular Sunday English-language services. For a year these services were held in homes with visiting ministers from outside the city. With overcrowding, services shifted to a Lutheran church. In September 1943 Arnold Fast of South Dakota became the first local minister. In 1945 a residence was purchased at 140 Victor Avenue, and in 1948 the Toronto United Mennonite Mission formally organized with 11 members. Despite its name, the mission served mainly those of United Mennonite background living in the city. It later became known as the Toronto United Mennonite Church (TUMC).

The main floor of the Victor Avenue building became the sanctuary, and the upper floor an apartment of the pastor. H. A. Claassen was the first pastor in this context.

In 1956 the congregation built a church at the present location. It was designed by Vic Heinrichs, an architecture student, with the first service held 9 December 1956, though the building was not completed until June 1961.

In September 1978, the congregation began a long involvement with refugees. That month the United Mennonite Conference’s mission and service committee, chaired by Peter Falk, appealed to its congregations to send relief goods via TUMC to the Evangelical Church of Vietnam in Canada, located in Toronto, for distribution to newly arriving refugees. TUMC soon began sponsoring refugees, and has continued to do so over the decades. An extension of this refugee engagement began in 1988 when the congregation began to share space with the Mennonite New Life Centre.

In 1979 the Toronto United Mennonite Church partnered with the Danforth Mennonite Church to create the St. Clair O'Connor Mennonite Community, a residential complex that combined townhouses for young families with seniors’ apartments and nursing home care. That facility opened in 1983.

In the early 1980s helped to foster the creation of the Mississauga Mennonite Fellowship.

After years of pondering space issues and seeking a potential move, TUMC, in partnership with the Toronto Mennonite New Life Centre and Mennonite New Life Church of Toronto, erected a new multi-purpose facility on the same property after taking down the original building.

In the early 2000s TUMC went through difficult times of discernment on LGBTQ issues in relation to persons in congregational leadership.

On the home page of it website in 2017, the Toronto United Mennonite Church said that it was a Christian community in the Mennonite-Anabaptist “peace church” tradition, that aspired to be a family of faith that welcomed people with diverse backgrounds and stories, worshipping together and supporting one another, while following Christ’s example in working for peace and justice in its urban context.

Bibliography

25th Anniversary Year: Toronto United Mennonite Church.1974, 11 pp.

CMC Nexus (October 1996): 10.

Dueck, Erwin. "The Menno-House Toronto." Jahrbuch der Vereinigten Mennoniten Gemeinden in Ontario, Canada (1956): 32-33.

Mennonite Reporter (30 May 1977): 11; (28 July 1997): 2.

"Our History." Toronto United Mennonite Church. 2016. Web. 16 January 2017. http://tumc.ca/?page_id=140.

Sawatzky, John C. "Church building in Toronto." Jahrbuch der Vereinigten Mennoniten Gemeinden in Ontario, Canada (1956): 31-32.

Unpublished congregational history, 1960, 2 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre

Additional Information

Address: 1774 Queen St. East, Toronto, ON M4L 1G7; the church is located at Queen and Lark Streets.

Telephone: 416-699-6631

Website: Toronto United Mennonite Church

Denominational Affiliations: Mennonite Church Eastern Canada Conference

Mennonite Church Canada

Toronto United Mennonite Church Pastoral Leaders

Name Years of Service
H. A. Claassen 1948
Frank P. Dyck 1949-1950
William W. "Bill" Dick 1950-1961
Nicholas "Nick" Dick 1961-1968
Ed & Marianne Enns (lay leaders) 1968-1969
Helmut Harder (interim) 1969-1970
Darrell Fast 1970-1986
Osiah Horst (interim) 1986-1987
Gary Harder 1987-2007
Shannon Neufeldt (associate) 1999-2003
Jonathan Slater (associate) 2005-2012
Maureen Louth 2005-2012
David Brubacher (interim) 2007-2009
Marilyn Zehr 2009-June 2017
Michele Rizoli (associate) 2013-present

Toronto United Mennonite Church Membership

Year Membership
1950 11
1965 84
1975 109
1985 149
1995 172
2000 184
2008 203
2015 201


Author(s) Sam Steiner
Date Published January 2017

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Sam. "Toronto United Mennonite Church (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2017. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Toronto_United_Mennonite_Church_(Toronto,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=148010.

APA style

Steiner, Sam. (January 2017). Toronto United Mennonite Church (Toronto, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Toronto_United_Mennonite_Church_(Toronto,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=148010.



©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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