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
Identifier of the related entity
Category of the relationship
Type of relationship
is the associate of
First Mennonite Church (Kitchener, Ontario)
Dates of the relationship
Description of relationship
Access points area
Subject access points
Place access points
Occupations
Control area
Authority record identifier
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.