Fonds ORG - Bergthal Mennonite Church (Didsbury) fonds

The Bergthal Mennonite Church was founded in Didsbury, Alberta, in 1903. It joined the Conference of Mennonites in Middle Canada in 1910. There were Sommerfeld as well as General Conference members but many Sommerfeld families left after the 1910 decision to join one conference. They had built their first meeting house in 1903 and this was moved west in 1918-1919 along with the cemetery. In 1923 and following, many new Mennonite immigrants from Russia joined the congregation. In 1929 a basement was added to the meeting house. In 1931 the membership was 104.The building was enlarged in 1934. In 1937 a Bible institute was begun by the congregation. This Bible institute was taken over by the conference in 1946. In 1938 the membership was 105. The buildings were sold to the conference and a new meeting house for the congregation was completed in 1948. This building was enlarged in 1965-1966. In 1951 the membership stood at 164; in 1967 at 201; in 1980 at 193; and in 2000 at 156. The leaders of the congregation were: Abram Dyck, Jacob Hamm (1903-1910), Gerhard Neufeld (1910-1946), Daniel Unruh (1921-1923), Isaac Epp (1923-1925), C. D. Harder (1927-1935), J. P. Loewen (1931-1988), John Sawatzky (1931-1945), William Falk (1931-1932), Cornelius Neufeld (1932-1991), Jack Neufeld (1932-1972), Martin Goerzen (1958-1963), Werner Froese (1967-1977), Erwin Siemens (1977-1981), David Letkemann (1982-1986), Norman Bergen (1988-1991), Bruce Wiebe (1992-2000), Menno Wiebe, interim pastor (2001), Elwin Garland (2002-2009), Mike Nimz (2009-2012 ).