Fonds ORG - Portage Mennonite Church fonds

Identity area

Reference code

CA MHC ORG

Title

Portage Mennonite Church fonds

Date(s)

  • 1977-2011 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

24 cm of textual records

Context area

Name of creator

(1977-2012)

Administrative history

The Portage Mennonite Church traces its beginning to 1977 when three couples in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba longed for a church where they could express their Mennonite faith. They invited others to join them, and they began holding services in an unused Presbyterian facility. Initially the congregation grew quickly and reached a maximum of about 40 members. When the Presbyterian building was sold, they rented space from a Seventh Day Adventist group, and later purchased a former Christian and Missionary Alliance building. The congregation formally organized in 1980, and began a practice of annual membership renewal on "Commitment Sunday" that continued to 2011. The congregation became a member of the Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba in 1983 (subsequently known as Mennonite Church Manitoba). They only had one paid minister in their history -- Karen Schellenberg from 2003 to 2010. Previously the pulpit was filled internally or by outside speakers. For several years Charleswood Mennonite Church sent speakers on a regular basis, followed by a series of part time pastors who commuted to Portage la Prairie from Winnipeg (a distance of about 90 km). Though small, Portage Mennonite Church, had an active ministry, including helping to start and manage the local Mennonite Central Committee thrift shop and the local Habitat for Humanity chapter. The congregation sponsored three refugee couples from Laos and Thailand during the 1980s. By 2012 the attendance had dropped significantly and it became difficult to maintain structure and program. The congregation held its last service on 1 July 2012.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Grace Loeppky boxed the materials and Jeff Thiessen, last chair of congregation reviewed them, before they were delivered to the archives.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

This files in this fonds have been organized into four categories:
-1) History
-2) Administrative records (constitution, minutes, notes, reports, correspondence, weekly announcements, program bulletins, congregational and council meetings)
-3) membership records (commitment register, commitment forms)
-4) miscellaneous files (conference membership, building correspondence, pastoral search, refugee sponsorship).
The records show the functions and activities of the Portage Mennonite Church.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Arranged and described by Alf Redekopp, April 2013.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Inventory file list (Volume 5685-5687)

Uploaded finding aid

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Note

Acc. No. 2012-075

Alternative identifier(s)

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Place access points

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Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

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Sources

Accession area

Related subjects

Related people and organizations