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The Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada (MCEC) resulted from the merger of three Ontario Mennonite groups: the Mennonite Conference of Ontario and Quebec, the Western Ontario Mennonite Conference, and the Conference of the United Mennonite Churches in Ontario. The first two groups were conferences of the Mennonite Church (MC). The last was a provincial conference related to the Conference of Mennonites in Canada.

The Avon Mennonite Church in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, began with a Summer Bible School sponsored by the Ontario Amish Mennonite Conference in July 1951. In 1963 this conference dropped "Amish" from its name, and became the Western Ontario Mennonite Conference. In 1987 this conference decided to disband their separate organization in favour of becoming a part of Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada (MCEC) which was created by an inter-Mennonite Conference that also included the Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario and the Mennonite Conference of Ontario. With the creation of MCEC, all the congregations that were not already members of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada (CMC), became CMC associate members. Avon Mennonite Church was one of these, and along with other churches originating in the Western Ontario Mennonite Conference, became a full CMC member congregation in 1995.

The East Africa Revival began as an ecumenical, grass-roots Christian renewal movement in 1929. The movement emphasized a personal acceptance of Jesus Christ, and encouraged a Christ-centered life in community that broke down barriers of denomination, race, class and ethnicity. Women took significant leadership roles in the movement.

North American Mennonite missionaries returning from East Africa spoke of the influence of the revival on their lives, and sought to bring the same revival to North American Mennonites through itineration and fellowship conferences. In 1981, Simeon and Edna Hurst and Ron and Marjorie Lofthouse from Ontario attended an East Africa revival fellowship retreat in Minneapolis. They were inspired to bring a similar retreat to Ontario, forming the Canada East Fellowship Retreat.

The congregation began services and formally organized in 1844. The first building was occupied in 1851, with subsequent building programs in 1915, 1936, 1949, 1977 and 1988. John W. Brubacher is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through immigration from Pennsylvania.

The meetinghouse was located west of St. Jacobs just north of the intersection of Regional Road 17 and Township Road 32 at the present location of Three Bridges School and the congregation's cemetery. At that time it was known as the Conestoga Mennonite Meetinghouse. From 1889 to 1892 the congregation shared a building with the Old Order Mennonites who retain the Conestoga Mennonite Meetinghouse name. In 1915 the congregation moved into the town of St. Jacobs and changed its name to St. Jacobs Mennonite Church. The congregation transitioned from German to English in the 1910s.

In 1925 there were 149 members; in 1950, 364; in 1965, 412; in 1975, 403; in 1985, 425; in 1995, 346; in 2000, 346; in 2010, 374. The congregation has been affiliated with the Mennonite Conference of Ontario (1844-1988), Mennonite Church (1898-), Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (1988-) and Mennonite Church Canada (1995-).