Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1932-2020 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
55 cm of textual records
1 reels of microfilm
1 VHS video
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Canadian Pacific Railway built a station at the current town site of Morden in 1882. This caused the towns of Mountain City to the south and Nelson to the north to dissolve and move to Morden, which then became a thriving town by 1885. Mennonites lived in the surrounding area as early as 1876. By 1918 some moved into the town site. These Mennonites were from various conference backgrounds. Both Michael Klassen from Herold and C. Bergmann from Altona gave leadership to this group during the 1920s. In 1928 the Bergthaler Church of Manitoba decided to start a more permanent work in Morden and sent Peter Epp that year. They met in rented facilities. The Mennonite Brethren decided to form their own congregation in 1930 and so in 1931 a Bergthaler congregation was formally organized under the leadership of Peter Epp with 30 charter members. In 1938 they built their own meeting house. In 1949 this building was expanded. The membership stood at 202 in 1954. In 1958 a new larger meeting house was completed. In 1970 there were 366 members and 360 in 2000. The name was changed to Morden Mennonite Church in the fall of 2003.
Name of creator
Administrative history
-changed its name from Morden Bergthaler Mennonite Church in 2003
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
the congregation
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds contains congregational bulletins (1963, 1965-2005, 2007-2020), congregational meeting minutes (1932-1980, 1986-1989, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2017-2020), congregational annual reports (1969, 1970, 1972-1980, 1982, 1986-1989, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2017-2019), congregational directories (1969, 1970, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1990, 1993, 1994, 2004, 2016), congregational constitution (1973), Sunday School register (1974), ministerial committee meeting minutes (1972-1975, 1986-1989), education committee minutes (1986-1988), mission and service committee meeting minutes (1986-1988), church council meeting minutes (1965-1980, 1986-1989, 2017-2020), congregational issues papers (1986, 1989, 1990), congregational ordination service (1988), congregational miscellaneous correspondence (1988), a brief congregational history (1966, 1987) congregational registers (1953-1980). The records pertain to the history of a Bergthaler Mennonite congregation in Morden. Further, it documents who the leaders, members, and participants were in this congregation.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Some German
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Inventory file list
Generated finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Some materials microfilmed in 1981.
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
By Bert Friesen 19 November 2001; updated by Conrad Stoesz 13 May 2005; updated by Selenna Wolfe 18 May 2021.