Fonds EMMC - Isaak A. Hoeppner fonds

Isaak A. Hoeppner, church leader and farmer, was born on September 25, 1884 to Anton Hoeppner (1860-1928) and Katharina Hildebrandt (1864-1886) in Waldheim, Manitoba. When he was only two years old his mother, Katharina Hoeppner, gave birth to a little girl. Unfortunately, both mother and daughter died shortly after the birth. His father then married Katharina Doerksen and together they had 12 children, nine of whom survived. Hoeppner grew up in Waldheim and then began farming. He was baptized on June 4, 1903. On July 20, 1904 he married Elizabeth Wolf. Together they had 14 children, of which two died in childhood. In 1931 Hoeppner attended a Salvation Army meeting in Winnipeg at which he experienced a spiritual crisis and a personal conversion. This changed his life. He began to live differently and share his faith openly. It was this that lead him to be elected to the ministry in 1931. He was then ordained by Peter A. Toews on April 9, 1932 at the Sommerfeld Mennonite Church in Waldheim. Like other ministers of his era he continued to farm to support his family in addition to his new church responsibilities. He had a mixed grain and animal farm where he raised sheep and swine.

His style of ministry and manner of conversion created enthusiasm but also conflict in the community. Hoeppner and three other ministers who wanted change in the church were forced by the old, more conservative, leadership to separate from the church in 1936. This was the beginning of the Rudnerweide Mennonite church (later known as the Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference) of which Hoeppner became a founding member. They took 1100 members of the Sommerfeld Mennonite Church with them. Hoeppner is remembered for his out going personality and his ability to relate well with people outside the Mennonite Community. Isaak Hoeppner died on January 10, 1955.