©Mennonite Heritage Centre 2003
Last updated 1 May 2007

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Title: First Mennonite Church (Winnipeg) fonds
Dates: 1932-2002
Extent: 83 cm of textual records
Extent: 7 microfilm reels

Historical note

First Mennonite Church (Winnipeg) traces its beginning to the founding of the Schönwieser Mennoniten Gemeinde in Manitoba in 1926. As early as 1907 Ältester Benjamin Ewert had provided spiritual services to Mennonites living in Winnipeg. He eventually moved to Winnipeg from Altona in 1921. The number of Mennonite families in Winnipeg increased with the 1920s migration of Mennonites from Russia. With this increase the Canadian conference asked Ältester Johann Klassen, one of these immigrants who lived in Starbuck, to minister to them as well. Soon these immigrants were the majority of this group and they organized in 1926 as the Schönwieser Mennoniten Gemeinde. The name Schönwieser came from the name of the congregation Ältester Klassen had led in the Chortitza Colony, South Russia. In 1929 Ältester Klassen to Winnipeg. During the early years this congregation met in rented facilities. A centre of activity was the Mädchenheim (girl's home). Then they met and later purchased the Zion Reformed Church building on Alexander Avenue. They built their own meeting house on Notre Dame and Alverston in 1950. This building was expanded in 1958 and 1983. The congregation was instrumental in founding the Concordia Hospital, the Mennonitische Religionschule von Winnipeg, the Bethania Personal Care Home, and Westgate Mennonite Collegiate among many others. The Schönwieser Mennoniten Gemeinde had many meeting places during the 1920s. Eventually seven congregations emerged out of this besides the First Mennonite Church, Winnipeg. The last of these was Oak Lake in 1971. The leaders of the congregation were: G. A. Peters (1925-1930), Johann Klassen (1926-1943), John H. Enns (1939-1964), J. H. Wiebe (1965-1973)[ he was Ältester and the last to be so referred until 1971], John Neufeld (1973-1983), Victor Kliewer (1984-1985), Franz Wiebe (1986- ).

Scope and content note

This fonds contains congregational bulletins (1958-1998), congregational directories (1947-1995), congregational newsletters (1940-2002, young people's newsletter, Das Blatt, (1951-1963), congregational annual reports (1930-1998), congregational meeting minutes (1930-1979), family, membership, baptismal, and marriage register (1929-1975), church council meeting minutes (1929-1978), minister's meeting minutes (1938-1964), congregational constitutions ([193?]-1978), several youth society programmes from the 1950s, choir members list (1975), a 1947 preaching schedule, correspondence with the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, governments, Bible schools, etc., Frauenverein (ladies society) minutes (1963-1980), and other miscellaneous papers. The records pertain to the beginning and development of a Mennonite congregation in the city of Winnipeg and they document who the leaders, members, and participants were.

Finding aids

Inventory file list available.

Notes

Language

Much German.

Restrictions on access

No restrictions on access.

Other notes

Described by Bert Friesen 12 November 2001. The microfilming was done in three projects (ask about project nos. 17,21,43). The hard copies were donated over the years from the congregation.

First Mennonite Church (Winnipeg) fonds file list:

Volume 46

  1. First Mennonite Church constitutions ([between 1974-1978], 1978)
  2. First Mennonite Church youth society programme (1954)
  3. First Mennonite Church youth society programme (1956) and bulletin (1956), Statutes (1956)
  4. First Mennonite Church choir programme (1957)
  5. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1958)
  6. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1963)
  7. First Mennonite Church directory (1964)
  8. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1969)
  9. First Mennonite Church pictorial directory (1971)
  10. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1975), choir members list (1975)
  11. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1976)
  12. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1977)
  13. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1978), and annual reports (1978), annual general meeting minutes (1977)
  14. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1979), League for life of Manitoba newsletter (1979)

Volume 1011

  1. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1980), annual reports (1980), annual general meeting minutes (1979)
  2. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1981)
  3. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1982)

Volume 1410

  1. Schönwieser Mennonite Church paper on fundamentals of faith (1933)
  2. Schönwieser Mennonite Church open letter ([1943])
  3. Schönwieser Mennonite Church preaching assignments (1947)
  4. First Mennonite Church miscellaneous papers ([196-]-[197-]), newsletter of youth clubs ([196-])
  5. Schönwieser Mennonite Church congregational meeting minutes (1932, 1933, 1968-1970, 1972, 1974-1975)
  6. First Mennonite Church council meeting minutes (1971-1978)

Volume 1411

Volume 1700

Volume 3133

  1. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1983)
  2. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1984)
  3. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1985)
  4. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1986), annual reports (1986), directory (1986)

Volume 3554

  1. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1987), list of deceased members (1987)
  2. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1988), music schedule (1988)
  3. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1989)

Volume 4009

  1. First Mennonite Church pictorial directory (1988), Membership List (1988).
  2. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1990)
  3. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1991)
  4. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1992)

Volume 4488

  1. First Mennonite Church directory (1995), annual reports (1995)
  2. First Mennonite Church annual reports (1994), pictoral directory (1994)
  3. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1993), annual reports (1993)
  4. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1996), annual reports (1996)
  5. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1997), annual reports (1997)
  6. First Mennonite Church bulletins (1998), annual reports (1998), membership list (1998)

Volume 4759

Intercom: Newsletter of First Mennonite Church (1976-2002)
  1. Intercom: Newsletter of First Mennonite Church October 1976, November 1976
  2. September 1979
  3. Intercom... Vol. 5: 1-3 (1980-1981)
  4. Intercom... Vol. 6: 1, 2 (1981-1982)
  5. Intercom... Vol. 7: 1-4 (1982-1983)
  6. Intercom... Vol. 8: 1-3 (1983-1984)
  7. Intercom. -- [41 unnumbered, but dated] 1987-2000.
  8. Intercom. -- #66 (Dec. 2000)
  9. Intercom. -- #68 (June 2001), #70 (Dec . 2001)
  10. Intercom. -- #73 (Dec. 2002)

Microfilm

(MHC Project No.17, 21, 43; MHC Microfilm no. 17, 179, 180, 193, 194, 195, 196)

Microfilm No. 17

(in chronological order)

    1. Register, (at beginning of book).
    2. Familienverzeichnis, pp. 33-292.
    3. G1iederverzeichnis Index pp. 293-324, #1 –1090.
    4. Taufhandlungung pp. 393-432, 1929-1942.
    5. Trauhandlungen for Church Record Books, (Blank).
    1. Register, (at beginning of book).
    2. Familienverzeichnis, pp. 21-188.
    3. G1iederverzeichnis Index, (Blank).
    4. Taufhandlungung, (Blank).
    5. Trauhandlungen for Church Record Books, (Blank).
    1. Register, (at beginning of book).
    2. Familienverzeichnis, pp. 1-424.
    3. G1iederverzeichnis Index, pp. 425-464, #1-1640.
    4. Taufhandlungung, pp. 465-483, May 28, 1944-1960.
    5. Trauhandlungen for Church Record Books, (Blank).
    1. Register, (at beginning of book).
    2. Familienverzeichnis, pp. 1-400.
    3. G1iederverzeichnis Index, pp. 401-417, #1641-2317.
    4. Taufhandlungung, (Blank).
    5. Trauhandlungen for Church Record Books, (Blank)
    1. Register, (at beginning of book).
    2. Familienverzeichnis, pp. 1-252.
    3. G1iederverzeichnis Index, (Blank).
    4. Taufhandlungung, (Blank).
    5. Trauhandlungen for Church Record Books. (Blank).
    1. Register, (at beginning of book).
    2. Familienverzeichnis, pp. 1-460.
    3. G1iederverzeichnis Index, pp. 461-488, #2315-2689, #3063-3075.
    4. Taufhandlungung, pp. 489-503, 1961 - May 14, 1967.
    1. Register, (at beginning of book).
    2. Familienverzeichnis, pp. 1-318.
    3. G1iederverzeichnis Index, pp. 457-484, #2690-3059.
    4. Taufhandlungung pp. 485-500, June 2, 1968--May 18, 1975.

Microfilm 179, 180

Microfilms 193, 194, 195, 196

  1. Church Membership Register: 1949-1977 (incomplete)
    1. Membership Registers
    2. Baptismal Candidates 1939-1958 (incomplete)
    3. Constitutions (Statutes), [193-?]-1978
  2. History of the Church and Biographies, etc.
    1. "Dem Herrn die Ehre."
  3. Minutes
    1. Congregational (Bruderschaft) 1930-1970)
    2. Church Council Meetings
      1. Gemeinderat – 1933
      2. Kirchenrat - 1929-1970)
    3. Minister's Meetings
      1. Minutes, 1938-1964
      2. Mennonite Pastors' Fellowship Constitution
    4. Jugendverein (Constitution) "Das Blatt" - 1951-1963.
  4. Church Statistics (financial and otherwise)
    1. Correspondence with Conference of Mennonites in Canada
      1. General Conference correspondence
      2. COMM
      3. miscellaneous statistics (journal entries)
  5. Annual Reports: 1968-1978 (complete)
  6. Miscellaneous
    1. Letters re: Theodore P. Bollinger (Dept. of the Northwest Board of Home Missions of the Reformed Church)
      1. Canada Colonization Association correspondence
      2. Canadian Board of Colonization
      3. letter to Minister of National War Services regarding imprisoned C.O.s
    2. Education related correspondence e.g. Bible Schools, etc.
    3. Miscellaneous documents, minutes, etc.
    4. Frauenverein minutes 1963-1980.