Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1955-2014 (Creation)
Level of description
Fonds
Extent and medium
1.54 m of textual records
3 reels of microfilm
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
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.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The majority of the Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church fonds was received in 1996 after the church's Centennial celebrations in 1995. The material was received from the church's office.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This fonds consists of two main categories - publications, both regular and special, and minutes detailing the church and its committees. The regular publications included are Church Bulletins (1973-2002), Annual Reports (1964-1999, 2001-2002), newsletters (Informers) (1980-2002), other church newsletter (1980-1982), church directories (1976-1999) and pictorial directories (1970; 1980; 1988; 1994; 1999). The special publications included are a membership list from 1994, the church's 75th Anniversary Album published in 1970, a report of individual financial contributions collected in 1960-1961, membership directories from 1976, 1977 and 1979, and the church's history book, compiled in 1995. The second category includes the church minutes recorded from 1955-1999 with 1955-1981 primarily being on microfilm and 1982-1999 being textual records. The committees included are: Ministerial (1962-1974; 1976-1999), Finance and Administration (1964-1999), Church Council (1960-1999), Education (1966-1973; 1976-1999), Centennial Celebrations (1994-1995), Building (1992-1994), Pictorial (1970;1980;1993-1994), Music (1979-1999), Missions (1966-1973;1979-1999), Nominations (1984-1999), History Book (1989-1994), Sunday School Teachers (1979-1999), Membership (1955-1999), Service (1961-1971), and Church Growth (1980-1982). Other material found within the Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church microfilms are two student papers done on the Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church done in 1979 and 1980 , "Hoffnungsfeld - Winkler" from Adventure in Faith written by Henry J. Gerbrandt.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
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Finding aids
Inventory file list
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
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Notes area
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Description control area
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Dates of creation revision deletion
By Kelli Downey on June 27, 2000. Updated by Alf Redekopp, Sept 20, 2004.