Joint Thanksgiving service of Shalom Worship and Healing Center and First Mennonite Church in Kitchener, Ontario. Photo: Shalom Worship and Healing Center.
Shalom Worship and Healing Center and First Mennonite Church entered a new covenant this past fall as co-owners of the facility and property at 800 King Street East in Kitchener, Ontario.
Shalom, a Tigrinya-speaking congregation that joined Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) in 2016, worshipped at First Mennonite, an historically Swiss congregation, from 2010 to 2020.
Yoni Abrham, pastor of Shalom Worship and Healing Center, speaking at the joint Thanksgiving service. Photo: Shalom Worship and Healing Center.
When the Covid pandemic began, like most congregations, First Mennonite closed its doors, prompting Shalom to seek a new home.
The Chin Christian Church in Kitchener welcomed Shalom to use their facility, for which Shalom was deeply grateful. Still, they longed for a space of their own—somewhere large enough to accommodate their entire community, including adults, youth and children.
“God had a plan to bring us back to our place of origin. We were born here,” says Shalom pastor Daniel Tela. “We searched everywhere for a place to worship and tried to buy in several locations, but nothing worked out.”
The pandemic had brought changes for First Mennonite. It became clear that maintaining their large building was no longer sustainable on their own; it was simply too big and was draining their resources.
“We felt called to a new type of relationship—a shared relationship,” says Rene Baergen, pastor at First Mennonite. They approached Shalom Worship and Healing Center, saying, “We know you’re looking for a home, and we’re unable to fill this one. Can we find a way to do this together?”
In February 2024, First Mennonite and Shalom started meeting to discuss what co-ownership might look like.
Norm Dyck, MCEC Mission Minister, and Fanosie Legesse, MCEC Intercultural Mission Minister, facilitated these conversations, guiding discussions on worship schedules, office hours, custodial needs, and financial arrangements.
Rene Baergen, pastor of First Mennonite, signing the covenant, with Norm Dyck. Photo: Shalom Worship and Healing Center.
Tela says, “Each supported the other as we came together as one, and this harmony was evident. We didn’t face any really difficult conversations—that is the leading of the Holy Spirit!”
Both congregations look forward to learning from each other and deepening their understanding of God’s kingdom.
“We are now in this together. They are coming home, but as co-owners—not tenants with an office in the basement,” says Baergen. “This, I believe, is what intercultural community calls us to.”
As First Mennonite lets go of sole ownership and all that comes with it, Shalom is learning the responsibilities of caring for a shared building.
The congregations gathered in joyful unity on Thanksgiving morning, October 12, 2024, their voices rising in heartfelt praise, celebrating the new covenanted relationship as a testament to God’s enduring faithfulness.
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