North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church (Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada)

The North Peace Mennonite Brethren congregation at Fort St. John has its origins in a successful outreach to the children of Fort St. John by the West Coast Children's Mission, beginning in 1957. As a result, it soon became apparent that a permanent ministry was needed for the families of the region. Irwin and Amanda Klaassen began Bible studies in the Aennofield area of town in 1960, and soon services were held in the Matthews Community Hall, then in various local homes and the Legion Hall. The congregation officially organized in 1962 with Peter and Betty Boschman serving as the first pastoral couple. That fall the congregation began construction on their first building, which they dedicated the following spring 1963.

Due to a rapid increase in membership, a new 280-seat sanctuary was constructed in 1972, but even this building proved too crowded after only a few years.  In 1979, the congregation was forced to meet in the Finch School gym, and in that same year a new structure with a 450-seat sanctuary was erected on the adjacent lot.

In 1996 North Peace and the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Board of Church Extension worked together to plant the Aennonfield Community Church. North Peace pastor Rick Hall became pastor of the new church in 1998. Aennofield Community Church closed in 2002.

In 2010 the congregation's membership was 192 with an average attendance of 263.

Bibliography

Canadian Mennonite (27 July 1962): 1.

Mennonite Brethren Herald (3 February 1978): 16; (16 October 1987): 18; (27 May 1988): 30; (April 2012): 30; (January 2015): 20.

Penner, Peter. No Longer At Arms Length: Mennonite Brethren Church Planting in Canada. Winnipeg, MB: Kindred Press, 1987: 130.

Unpublished historical sketch, 1 p., Mennonite Historical Society of Canada collection, Mennonite Archives of Ontario.

Additional Information

Address: 10816 - 106 Street, Fort St. John, BC V1J 5P2

Telephone: 250-785-3869

Website: North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church

Denominational Affiliation:

British Columbia Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches (1963-present)

Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1963-present)

General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1963-2002)

North Peace MB Church Leading Ministers

Minister	Years
Irwin Klaassen	1960-1962
Peter Boschman	1962-1966
Ron Bergstrom	1967
John P. Schmidt	1967-1977
Jacob Thielmann	1978-1981
Leo Siemens	1981-1992
Wilf Richert (interim)	1992-1993
Rick Hall	1993-1997
Les Riediger	1999-2011
Aldon Loeppky (interim)	2012-2014
Andrew Eby	2014-present

North Peace MB Church Membership

Year	Members
1965	25
1975	61
1980	109
1985	212
1990	213
1995	260
2000	208
2005	231
2010	192

Maps

Map:North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church (Fort St. John, BC)

Author(s)	Marlene Epp
	Andres Klager
Date Published	February 2015

Cite This Article

MLA style

Epp, Marlene and Andres Klager. "North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church (Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2015. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Peace_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Fort_St._John,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=137137.

APA style

Epp, Marlene and Andres Klager. (February 2015). North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church (Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Peace_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Fort_St._John,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=137137.

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