Evangelical Mennonite Conference
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The Evangelical Mennonite Conference is a Canadian Mennonite body of evangelical Christians, not to be confused with the Evangelical Mennonite Church, a body in the midwestern United States.
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Background
The Evangelical Mennonite Conference began in 1814 in the Molotschna settlement of southern Russia as the Kleine Gemeinde, a group of Low German-speaking Mennonites.1 Klaas Reimer (1770-1837), a Mennonite minister from Gdańsk, settled in Molotschna in 1805. Reimer felt the Mennonites of the area were too lax in doctrine and piety, and began to hold meetings in homes in 1812. He was joined by another minister, Cornelius Janzen, and about 20 members, who together recognized themselves as a separate church body in 1814. In 1874, they migrated to North America, settling in Manitoba, Canada and near Jansen, Nebraska in Jefferson County. The Jansen group moved to Kansas and eventually ceased to be part of the Kleine Gemeinde. A number of the Kleine Gemeinde went into the movement of Elder John Holdeman (Church of God in Christ, Mennonite). In 1952, the Kleine Gemeinde changed its name to the Evangelical Mennonite Church, and then to the Evangelical Mennonite Conference in 1959.
Doctrine
The doctrines of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference are presented in a 13 article "Statement of Faith" adopted in 1994. The statement reveals evangelical Christian teachings, with Mennonite emphases such as non-conformity and non-resistance. Three ordinances are held - believers' baptism, the Lord's supper, and feet washing.
Status
The churches of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference are located in five Canadian provinces - Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. In 2001 there were about 7000 members in 50 churches, with 149 ministers serving the churches. The congregations are organized into nine regional conferences. Foreign mission work is established in 25 countries. A general conference council meets twice a year. The Evangelical Mennonite Conference archives, offices, Steinbach Christian High School and Steinbach Bible College are located in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. The Messenger, an official publication of the conference, is printed 22 times per year.
The Evangelical Mennonite Conference is a member of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and the Mennonite World Conference.
External links
- Evangelical Mennonite Conference (http://www.emconf.ca/) - official Web Site
- Adherents.com (http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_276.html#1520)
- Steinbach Bible College (http://www.sbcollege.mb.ca/)
References
- Mennonite Encyclopedia, Cornelius J. Dyck, Dennis D. Martin, et al., editors
- Saints and Sinners (http://www.mts.net/~delplett/book/contents.html), by Delbert Plett
- Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches (2001), National Council of Churches
Footnote
- 1. or in Low-German, De Kleen-gemeenta (both meaning "little church")