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Mennonite Heritage Archives Corporate body

Winnipeg Chinese Mennonite Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2020-985
  • Corporate body
  • 1974-

The Winnipeg Chinese Mennonite Church traces its beginning to the Bible study group consisting of Mandarin-speaking immigrants that began meeting in the early 1970s, forming a congregation in 1975. The congregation met in the Bethel Mennonite Church and in 1979 joined the Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba. Chinese students were attracted to this congregation from the beginning. The leaders of the congregation were: Frances Tung (1979-1981), Jonathan Chen (1983), Pak Lee Chong (1984-1987), David Chi Ming Tam (1988-1992), Wank King Hung (1993-1999), John Wang (2000- ).

Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church (Winkler, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2018-934
  • Corporate body
  • 1895-

Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church has its beginning in the village of Hoffnungsfeld, just west of Winkler. Men and women met for Bible study and prayer, appreciated freedom in worship, and placed a high value on missions and Christian Education. The church built a sanctuary in Winkler in 1895, marking the birth of the church as a separate entity. The Bergthaler church was the first church building in Winkler, and the first Mennonite church in a town in all of western Canada. Jacob M. Wiens is considered the founding leader of the group.

nitially all services were conducted in the German language. Beginning in the early 1970s, services were also offered in the English language. At this time, Christian Education programs were expanded, youth programs were added, a large number of women and men were commissioned to serve in mission assignments – at home and abroad, and a system of bishops and lay ministers was replaced with a team of salaried pastors and lay leaders.

A new sanctuary, complete with a full basement, was dedicated in 1947. In 1970, this building was converted to a three-story education wing and a new place of worship, with a seating capacity of 1,000, was constructed. Since that time the church has added an office wing, a new Dining Hall, and an Education Complex.

The church was first named the Bergthaler Mennonite Church at Winkler and was re-named in 1978 to Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church.

In December 2015 it was announced that the congregation was leaving both Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church Manitoba over the issue of same-sex marriage.

Wingham Mennonite Church (Elm Creek, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2020-982
  • Corporate body
  • 1938-2004

The Wingham Mennonite congregation in Elm Creek, MB began services about 1930, and formally organized in 1938. The first building was occupied in 1939, with a subsequent building program in 1961. Cornelius Rempel is considered the founding leader of the group.
The congregation was affiliated with Mennonite Church Manitoba. The language of worship was German prior to 1970. Prior to 1982 Wingham was part of the Blumenorter church group. The church dissolved on April 25, 2004.
The leaders of the congregation were: Cornelius Rempel (1938-1945), Peter Fehr (1946-1965), Abram Epp (1965-1969), Johann Giesbrecht (?-?), Isaak Penner (?-?), Jakob Nikkel (?-?), Daniel D. Peters (1984-1993), Edward Funk (1994-1997), and Martin Sawatzky (1997-2004).

Whitewater Mennonite Church (Boissevain, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2020-946
  • Corporate body
  • 1927-

The Whitewater Mennonite Church was organized April 18, 1927 by Mennonite families from the Soviet Union who settled in south western part of Manitoba. The first elder was Franz F. Enns of Lena, Manitoba, who had been elder of the Terek Mennonite Church in Russia. On June 16, 1938 G.G. Neufeld succeeded him. In 1958 the church had 565 members and a total population of 1209 persons in 257 families. It was a mulit-congregational church with the following affliates or local congregations: Whitewater (162 members), Rivers (96 members), Ninga (63 members), Lena (80 members), Crystal City (135 members), Manitou (29 members). Five of these groups had their own meetinghouses. In 1958 all worship was in German. In 1936 a meeting house was built near Boissevain. A larger meeting house was built in the town in 1960. In 1947 this church was merged into the Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba.

Vietnamese Mennonite Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2020-925
  • Corporate body
  • 1987-

-began in 1982 as a Winnipeg Vietnamese and Chinese Church sponsored by MCC, Manitoba Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches and Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba.
-in 1986 the congregation split into a Vietnamese church (CMM-related) and a Chinese church (MB-related).

The Gospel Message (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

  • CA-MHA-2020-381
  • Corporate body
  • 1957-

The Gospel Message (weekly half hour radio broadcast) was a project of the Evangelical Mennonite Mission Church radio committee which began in 1957. In 1964 radio responsibility was given to the EMMC Board of Education and Publication. In 1961 the program partnered with a group of men in Saskatchewan from various backgrounds who were promoting the evangelistic services held by John D. Friesen. Recording was done in Saskatoon, SK. At that time the program switched from High German to Low German. This partnering proved to be a successful move. The program was now heard in BC to Manitoba and was given full endorsement by the EMMC in 1966. After John D. Friesen ended his ministry, Ed Martens took over as the speaker. This program has broadcast in Canada, United States and South America. "The Gospel Message" radio ministry was also supported by the Chortitzer Mennonite Church (1973).

Sterling Mennonite Fellowship (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2020-852
  • Corporate body
  • 1958-

The Sterling Mennonite Fellowship in Winnipeg, Manitoba began services in 1951, and formally organized in 1958. The first building was occupied in 1956, with subsequent building programs in 1969 and 1981. Frank J. Dyck is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through urbanization from rural Manitoba.

The group was known as St. Vital Mennonite Mission until its formal organization in 1958. It was a city mission begun as a joint effort of the Sommerfelder, Rudnerweider, and Bergthaler churches and with outreach of students from Canadian Mennonite Bible College. Two fellowship groups which met in the homes of Corny Derksen and Jake Derksen decided to rent the Greendale hall in St. Vital for the purpose of establishing a mission church. Ministers D. D. Schulz and D. D. Klassen helped advise and organize the group in 1952.

The congregation met in the church building at 18 Sterling Avenue until the end of March 1970, when a new building was completed at St. Mary's Road and Marvin Place. Their name was then changed to "Sterling Mennonite Fellowship", which it retained when it moved to yet another new building in 1980 at 1008 Dakota Street at Nova Vista Drive.

The language of worship is English and German; the transition from German occurred in the 1950s.

The leaders of the congregation were: Henry T. Klassen (1958-1963), Rev. Jacob W. Schmidt (1963-1968), Rev. David Letkemann (1968-1969), Rev. John F. Wiebe (1969-1973), Helmut Rauser (1975-1976), Gary Loewen (1977-1978), Don MacBurney (1979-1980), Gary Martens (1979-1984), Erwin Wiebe (1984-1986), and Norm Voth (1988-2000), John B. Wiebe (2001-2007), Ed Cornelson (2007-2009), Terry Goertzen (2009-2014), and Moses Falco (2015-).

Steinbach Mennonite Church (Steinbach, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2016-3707
  • Corporate body
  • 1938-

The Steinbach Mennonite Church in Steinbach, Manitoba, began services on 17 July 1938, and formally organized in 1939. The first building was occupied in 1941, with subsequent building programs in 1951, 1974, and 1989.

Springstein Mennonite Church (Springstein, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2020-847
  • Corporate body
  • 1924-

The Springstein Mennonite Church traces its beginning to the coming of Russian Mennonite immigrants settling in the Springstein, Oak Bluff and surrounding areas in the 1920s. Initially these immigrants met to worship in private homes (mostly in the big house on the communal farm), and then in the local school (1927). Families from two Mennonite traditions (kirchliche and Mennonite Brethren) met together into the 1930s when they each founded their own church. The Springstein Mennonite Church was formally founded in on 17 October 1938, and was independent from that time. That year they also completed a meeting place. Most of the members had previously been part of the Schönwieser Mennonite Church (Gemeinde). Rev. William Enns, Rev. Isaak Penner and Rev. David D. Klassen were early ministers. Rev. Enns was ordained as bishop (Aeltester) in 1941. Members of the congregation were a large part of the society which in 1948 bought the property that established the Assiniboine Mennonite Mission Camp in 1949 near Headingly (later known as Assiniboine Camp). Springstein is listed as a part of the group that founded the Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba and a congregation that strongly supported Canadian Mennonite Bible College when the Conference of Mennonites in Canada established it in 1947.

Springfield Heights Mennonite Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2016-3698
  • Corporate body
  • 1964-

The Springfield Heights Mennonite Church began services and formally organized in 1964. The first building was occupied in 1965. The congregation originated through division from North Kildonan Mennonite due to the latter's size and the desire of some to use the German language. Their first meeting house was completed in 1965 and further expanded in 1978.

Sommerfeld Mennonite Church of Manitoba

  • CA-MHA-2020-843
  • Corporate body
  • 1893-

The Sommerfeld Mennonite Church is one of the more conservative Russian Mennonite churches in Canada. It was formed in 1893 as a result of conflict with what became known as the Bergthaler Mennonite Church over assimilation. Higher education was one of the visible manifestations of this conflict. The members of this church had moved to the Mennonite West Reserve (current day Altona/Winkler area of Manitoba) from the East Reserve (current day Steinbach area of Manitoba) around 1880. These immigrants originated in the Bergthal Colony of Russia and came to Canada in 1874-1876. About 2/3 sided with the mother church on the East Reserve, the Chortitzer Mennonite Church. The other 1/3 broke away with the newly elected bishop Johan Funk. This smaller, culturally more accommodating, group was known as the Bergthaler Mennonite Church of Manitoba.

Bishop Abraham Doerksen was ordained in 1894 by Bishop David Stoesz to lead the larger group which became known as the Sommerfeld Mennoniten Gemeinde. Emigration started in the late 1890s and early 1900s to new settlements in the Swift Current and Herbert areas of Saskatchewan. (In Saskatchewan they are known as Bergthaler). In 1922 some emigrated to form the Santa Clara colony in Mexico and in 1927 to the Menno Colony in Paraguay due to distrust of the Canadian government who was making it harder for the church to educate their children in ways important to them. In 1948 another wave of Sommerfeld Mennonites moved to Paraguay again because of the lack of trust in the Canadian government.

In 2007 the Sommerfeld Mennonite Church had churches in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. The growing membership was largely rural based.

Selkirk Christian Fellowship (Selkirk, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2016-3597
  • Corporate body
  • 1982-1993

The Selkirk Christian Fellowship in Selkirk, Manitoba began in 1966 when a group of families who had earlier had contact with the Mennonite Pioneer Mission (MPM), moved to the Town of Selkirk from their communities in Bissett, Matheson Island, Loon Straits and Pine Dock and met for fellowship. Orville Andres, a former MPM worker at Loon Straits, who was attending Canadian Mennonite Bible College, in 1966, helped provide regular services. In 1967 the Conference of Mennonites in Canada’s newly established Board of Missions confirmed Jake and Trudie Unrau’s calling and placement in Selkirk to help establish a church. At first the group met in the Odd Fellow’s Hall on Cladeboyde Avenue. Then the CMC Board of Missions helped them purchase the vacant Church of the Nazarene at 173 Main Street, where they continued to meet until they closed in 1993. The language of worship was English.

The church was known as Elim Christian Fellowship until 1984 when it formally incorporated and changed the name to Selkirk Christan Fellowship. A 20th anniversary celebration and homecoming was held in 1986. The church related to the Conference of Mennonites in Canada through its Native Ministries program, but never joined as a congregation.

The congregation held its last service on 28 February 1993.

Sargent Avenue Mennonite Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2016-3454
  • Corporate body
  • 1949-

The Sargent Avenue Mennonite congregation in Winnipeg began services in 1949, and formally organized in 1950. The first building was occupied in 1951.

Sargent Avenue Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba traces its beginning to the efforts of the Home Missions Committee of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada during the late 1940s to help meet the needs of recently immigrated Mennonite refugees from Russia. Minister Jacob Toews used the Bethel Mission Church for meetings and baptisms in early 1949. The first worship service was led by Minister Jacob Toews on Sept 11, 1949 in the building at 515 Wellington which housed the new Canadian Mennonite Bible College.

The congregation was first called, "Winnipeg Mennoniten Stadtmission". It was renamed Winnipeg Mennonite Mission church in 1950, and registered its legal name as Sargent Avenue Mennonite Church in 1955, during the period when they were meeting in a former Baptist church building at Sargent Avenue and Firby Street

In 1951, the Baptist church on the corner of Sargent and Furby was purchased and was home to the congregation until a new church was built on the corner of Sargent and Garfield in 1961.

Jacob Toews was elected as the Aeltester in 1952 and served as the leading minister until 1958. He was suceeded by Gerhard Lohrenz, Jake Harms, Arthur Fast, Martin Sawatzky, Bernhard Sawatzky, Isaac Block, Jacob F. Pauls, Edwin Epp, Marla Langalotz.

In 1977 the church saw a need for another minister and called Bernie Neufeld as minister of music and education. Other ministerial staff included Ken and Rhonda Warkentin, Angela Reed, Gary Schapansky, Sonja Freisen, Ruth Epp, Marla Langalotz, David Peters, Chris Lenshyn, Lee Hiebert, Mark Tiessen-Dyck, Andrea De Avila.

The church has also had a long history of strong lay leadership. Some lay leaders include: Johann Adrian, Georg K. Epp, Herman Dueck, Peter Harder, Art Fast, Ben Sawatsky, Martin Friesen, Bruno Ens, Jacob Pankratz, Arthur Heidebrecht, Hermann Rempel, Ingrid Cornies, Richard Olfert, Gerhard Ens, and Menno Wiebe.

Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church (Rosenfeld, Manitoba)

  • CA-MHA-2016-3438
  • Corporate body
  • 1928-2017

The Bergthaler presence was first established here in 1903 and by 1904 there were regular worship services conducted here in rented facilities. However over the next twenty years or so these worship services were held irregularly. John D. Loeppky is considered the founding leader of the group. Only in 1928 were regular services held for the Bergthaler group. In 1942 they built their own meeting house. The relationship with the central Bergthaler leadership was strained during these years. In 1949 this building was renovated.
Due to shrinking numbers, the church closed in 2017.

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