Agassiz MB Church

Agassiz Mennonite Brethren Church

Mennonite settlers came to Agassiz, BC as early as 1927. One of these was John Bargen but he soon moved on to Yarrow. Abram Nikkel who came in 1928 settled on a dairy farm in Agassiz. However, the Nikkels fellowshipped in Yarrow and soon moved there as well. Others came in 1928 and 1929 including the Frank Kornelson family, the John P. Stobbes and the John J. Stobbe family. Other families and individuals also came to Agassiz and the group began to have Bible studies and prayer in the home of John P. Stobbe also developing Sunday school and eventually regular worship services for which they met in an empty home.
In 1930 the group decided to build a 24 ft. by 30 ft. church building on land donated by C.E Eckert. In December, 1930 an organizational meeting was held with Rev. Cornelius Klassen of Yarrow presiding. There were 22 charter members and they chose John J. Stobbe as leader, H.S. Dahl as assistant, Isaak Dirks in charge of Sunday School, Abe Stobbe in charge of young people and singing and John F. Kornelson as secretary.
In 1932 C.C. Peters joined this group and became their minister and Bible school teacher and in the same year the membership grew to its height at 40 members. But people began to leave for the South Abbotsford area in 1933 including the Stobbes and even C.C. Peters took a teaching position in 1936 as Bible school teacher at South Abbotsford although he kept ministering at Agassiz. The conclusion of the church came at the end of 1936 although some small efforts were made to continue in Agassiz.

Source: “ The Agassiz Settlement” a paper by Abe Stobbe (MBCH 7)