Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1927-2009 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
44 cm of textual records
1 microfilm reel
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
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.
Repository
Archival history
Some textual records were deposited by the congregation at the Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg. Some original minutes ledgers and scribblers which were kept by recording secretary Henry Albrecht were brought to the Centre by Art Hildebrand of Crystal City in 2009.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds consists of minutes, bulletins, newsletters, registers, constitutions, and annual reports which pertain to the beginning and development of the Whitewater Mennonite group of congregations (Gemeinde). This fonds contains material which is applicable to both the Gemeinde and the local congregation and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the two because the group of churches had the same name as the one congregation in the group. There are membership and family registers (1927-1979), membership lists (1927-1969, 1991), Gemeinde/congregational constitution ([196-?]), brief history of the Gemeinde (1980), miscellaneous documents concerning the history of the Gemeinde ([197-?]), congregational bulletins (1965-2000, 2002-2003, 2005-2013), church council meeting minutes (1966-1979, 1992, 1995-2004, 2006-2009), Gemeinde/congregational meeting minutes (1927-1993, 1995-2004, 2008-2009), ministers and deacons conference programmes and minutes (1931-1969), annual reports (1966-1992), congregational newsletters (1983-1996), financial documents ([196-]), directories (1980-1993).
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
Much German
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Inventory file list
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Some material were microfilmed in 1980.