First Mennonite Church (Kitchener, Ontario)

Identity area

Type of entity

Corporate body

Authorized form of name

First Mennonite Church (Kitchener, Ontario)

Parallel form(s) of name

Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

Other form(s) of name

  • This church was named First Mennonite in 1917. Prior to that time it was known as Eby's, Benjamin Eby's, Christian Eby's, Berlin and East End.
  • Berlin Mennonite Church
  • East End Mennonite Church
  • Benjamin Eby's Meetinghouse
  • Eby's Meetinghouse
  • Christian Eby's Meetinghouse

Identifiers for corporate bodies

Description area

Dates of existence

1813-

History

In the late 1700's a steady stream of Mennonites began migrating from Pennsylvania to Upper Canada. Establishing communities en route, this migration continued northward reaching the German Company Tract (now part of Waterloo County) by the early 1800's.

Predominantly farmers and a few millers, these people carved a settlement in the wilderness with a nucleus in what is now downtown Kitchener. This community was known as Eby's Settlement, later Eby's Town, Berlin and finally Kitchener.

From 1804, pioneer families met for worship in homes and later in a schoolhouse. By 1813 more space was needed and a log building, known as Benjamin Eby's Meeting House, was erected. This church and an adjoining cemetery were the first in the area. A larger frame church was built in 1834 and was replaced by a brick church in 1902. This building remains the center section of the present day church. Additions to the structure were made in 1927, 1949-50, and 1985. The church became known as First Mennonite Church in 1917.

Over the years groups of members from First Mennonite church left to form other congregations in the city. These include Bethany Missionary Church in 1875, Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church in 1924. Rockway Mennonite (1960) and the Baden Mission (now Wilmot Mennonite) were outreach efforts of First Mennonite Church.

-- excerpts from GAMEO

Places

Legal status

Functions, occupations and activities

Mandates/sources of authority

Internal structures/genealogy

General context

Relationships area

Related entity

First Mennonite Cemetery (Kitchener, Ontario)

Identifier of the related entity

CA-MAO-2016

Category of the relationship

associative

Type of relationship

First Mennonite Cemetery (Kitchener, Ontario)

is the associate of

First Mennonite Church (Kitchener, Ontario)

Dates of the relationship

Description of relationship

The cemetery is adjacent to First Mennonite Church, Kitchener.

Access points area

Subject access points

Place access points

Occupations

Control area

Authority record identifier

CA-MAO-2014-003

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation, revision and deletion

History added with MHA fonds 1 July 2020 by AHR.
Addition of relationship with cemetery and other names added by LHG, Dec 2020.

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Burkhard, Barbara. First Mennonite Church (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2003. Web. 1 Jul 2020.

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