Grace Mennonite Church (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Russian Mennonite immigrants settled in the area south and west of Regina in the 1920s. However, many left the area in the 1930s because of economic difficulties. During the war, some did alternative service in the bigger cities including Regina.
In 1941 a Mennonite congregation was founded in Regina which had both Mennonite Brethren and General Conference families. During these years they were served by both Mennonite Brethren and General Conference ministers. They worshipped together until 1955. Then the General Conference families organized their own informal congregation and purchased their own meeting house at 1409 Victoria Avenue. There were 33 members in 1955 and was named Victoria Avenue Mennonite Church. After five years of growth, they formally founded the Grace Mennonite Church with 68 charter members in 1960. Then in 1968 they completed a larger meeting house which was expanded in 1979.
The language of worship is English; the transition from German occurred in the 1950s.
In 1988 the congregation began a Chinese ministry when the congregation hired Pat Houmphan as Asian pastor. In 1997 Magdalena Widjaja was ordained as Chinese pastor to the Grace Mennonite Chinese Fellowship portion of the congregation.
In 1997 there were also Laotian and Hispanic fellowships within the congregation.
Grace Mennonite was originally known as Regina Mennonite Conference Mission and also as Victoria Avenue Mennonite Church.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (5 August 1955): 1; (3 June 1960): 3; (4 June 1968): 11.
Mennonite Reporter (24 November 1980): 4; (29 April 1985): 11; (1 April 1991): B4; (20 April 1992): B1; (14 April 1997): 11.
One Foundation: The History of Grace Mennonite Church of Regina. 1980, 23 pp.
Wiens, Gerald M. "A History of the Grace Mennonite Church in Regina, Saskatchewan." Research paper, 1977, 11 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Additional Information
Address: 2935 Pasqua Street, Regina, SK S4S 2H4
Phone: 306-584-2555
Website: Grace Mennonite Church
Denominational Affiliations:
Mennonite Church Saskatchewan (1960-present)
Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1960-present)
General Conference Mennonite Church (1962-1999)
Pastoral Leaders at Grace Mennonite Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| H. H. Penner | 1955-1957 |
| Paul Dyck | 1955-1956 |
| Norman Bergen | 1956-1959 |
| Edgar Epp | 1959-1961 |
| Otto Driedger | 1959-1961 |
| Edward Enns | 1961 |
| Ramon Jantz | 1961-1964 |
| Isaac Epp | 1964 |
| Reynold Kipfer | 1965-1969 |
| Fred Unruh | 1969-1975 |
| Erick Swatzky | 1976-1980 |
| Ferd Ediger | 1983-1987 |
| Murray Logan | 1988 1991 |
| Bruce Hiebert | 1989-1990 |
| Karen Martens Zimmerly | 1992-2008 |
| Terry Zimmerly | 1992-2008 |
| Dan Graber | 2009-2016 |
| Rose Graber | 2009-2019 |
| Rodney Hennessey | 2020-present |
| Andrew Waithe (Associate) | 2013?-present |
Grace Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1955 | 33 |
| 1965 | 95 |
| 1975 | 124 |
| 1985 | 191 |
| 1995 | 199 |
| 2000 | 217 |
| 2015 | 171 |
| 2020 | 170 |
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | July 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene. "Grace Mennonite Church (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2021. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grace_Mennonite_Church_(Regina,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=174977.
APA style
Epp, Marlene. (July 2021). Grace Mennonite Church (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Grace_Mennonite_Church_(Regina,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=174977.
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