Santa Claus Book 2016 AJM.qxp_Santa 2016-12-12 8:46 AM Page 1
Santa Claus Book
Manitoulin Gospel Fellowship Church in the community of Aundeck Omni Kaning on Highway 540.
Manitoulin Gospel Fellowship Church For nearly a half-century, since the early 1970s, the Manitoulin Gospel Fellowship Church has been a familiar part of the landscape in the community of Aundeck Omni Kaning where it sits in a place of prominence on Highway 540. Pastor Charles Nahwegahbow is the founding pastor and has held the role of pastor in the church since its founding. Georgina Nahwegahbow, Pastor Charles’ wife, notes that, “there has always been a fellowship in Sucker Creak (the community’s former name) with people gathering in house meetings.” The church building was built, she said, in the early 1970s “so people could have a central place of worship outside their homes.” The church is still in use, she explained, although not for regular Sunday services. “Presently, the church is used for special occasions: weddings, baptisms, funerals. On
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Christmas Eve, there will be a service at 8 pm and everyone is invited,” Ms. Nahwegahbow said. When the church was constructed, it was built by local people. Ms. Nahwegahbow explained that there were also mission funds, contributed to the project from churches in southern Ontario and Michigan. The church community, once thriving with a busy and active Sunday school with local teachers, has diminished in activity as older members have passed on and the people who once attended Sunday school there and who are now in their 30s and 40s have other obligations on Sundays. Ms. Nahwegahbow explained that the cost of heat and general upkeep of the church now falls primarily on her family. Pastor Charles Nahwegahbow is ordained through the Elim Gospel Fellowship based in Hamilton, Ontario. He remains an active
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preacher, Ms. Nahwegahbow explained, “doing evangelical work through Northern Ontario but primarily in Michigan. He has also been to Minnesota and Wisconsin. In Michigan, he is hosted by various native missions. She added that ‘camp meetings’ are still popular in the summer in southern Ontario and in the United States. “In fact, our church used to be closed for services during most of July and August because we would be attending camp meetings elsewhere and so would many of our local church members,” she recalled. “Charlie at the time preached a lot at Wikwemikong and M’Chigeeng and when our church was built, those families came here.” Ms. Nahwegahbow reiterated hers and her husband’s invitation to everyone to worship with them on Christmas Eve at 8 pm.
The Manitoulin West
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