Mennonite
Historical
Society
of Alberta

Bethel Mennonite Church (Winnipeg) fonds

Accession 2003.02

Title and Physical Description

Bethel Mennonite Church (Winnipeg) fonds. — [ca. 1955]-1968. — 2 cm of textual records

Administrative History

Bethel Mennonite Church began services in Winnipeg in 1937, and formally organized in 1946. It was originally known as Bethel Mennonite Mission. The first building was occupied in 1938, with subsequent building programs in 1945, 1955 and 1995. Benjamin Ewert is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through urbanization from rural Manitoba and outreach by the General Conference Mennonite Church. The congregation has been affiliated with the Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba, Conference of Mennonites in Canada (1950-), and the General Conference Mennonite Church (1947-). The language of worship is English; the transition from German occurred in the 1940s. Pastors have been salaried since 1943. In 1950 there were 202 members; in 1965, 450; in 1975, 385; in 1985, 516; in 1995, 591; in 2000, 587.

Custodial History

The records were compiled by the Missions Committee of the Women’s Missionary Society of the Bethel Mennonite Church in 1967. They came into the possession of Erna Klassen.

Scope & Content

The fonds consists of a collection of biographical sketches of missionaries (and Youth Opportunities Unlimited) in various geographic settings. All were commissioned through the General Conference Commission on Overseas Missions, which was responsible for mission efforts on behalf of Canadian and American General Conference members at that time.

Source of Acquisition

Gift by Erna Klassen, Calgary, Alberta, 2003.

Notes

Accession 2003.2
Administrative History information extracted from Canadian Mennonite Encyclopaedia
Last updated 22 Apr 2003 – Judith Rempel
Revised June 2012

1 – Untitled binder of biographical sketches – 1950s
2 – Columbia newsletter – 1964-1968

Series Inventory

The binder of biographical sketches is organized geographically; following is effectively a Table of Contents to the material.

  1.  Manitoba
    1. Jacob Unrau (1920-) – p. 4
    2. Gertrude (Giesbrecht) Unrau (1919-) – p. 5
    3. Edwin (-1963) & Anne (Thiessen) Brandt – p. 6
    4. Youth Opportunities Unlimited – p. 10
    5. Otto & Margaret (Neufeld) Hamm – p. 11
    6. Orville & Katherine (Loeffler) Andres – p. 12
  2. Indian Americans
    1. Norman (1929- ) & Mary (Giesbrecht) (1932- ) Bartel – p. 15
    2. Margaret Thiessen (1935- ) – p. 17
    3. Isaac (1927-) & Margret Froese – p. 18
    4. Margaret Derksen (1942-) – p. 19
  3. Mexico
    1. Daniel (1927- ) & Elna (Tiessen) (1929- ) Peters – p. 21
    2. Menno (1918- ) & Esther (Klassen) (1921- ) Bergen – p. 23
    3. Anne (Neufeld) Rupp (1932- ) p. 24
    4. Abe (1931- ) & Hanna Rempel – p. 25
  4. South America
    1. Frank & Anne (Regehr) Dyck – p. 27
    2. Bruno (1927- ) & Elizabeth (Janzen) Epp – p. 29
  5. Colombia
    1. George (1934- ) & Margaret (Vogt) (1933- ) Ediger – p. 32
  6. India
    1. Anne Penner – p. 35
    2. Leona Cressman (1917- ) p. 36
    3. Helen Kornelsen (1920- ) – p. 37
    4. Jacob & Dorothy (Andres) Giesbrecht – p. 39
    5. Paul I. (1926- ) & Lois (Bartel) (1927- ) Dyck – p. 41
    6. Dr. Homer K. & Gredi Janzen – p. 43
    7. Nettie Bergmann – p. 46
    8. John (1935) & Mary (Schrag) Pauls – p. 47
  7. Japan
    1. Esther Patkau – p. 51
    2. Paul W. & Laverne (Lincheid) Boschman – p. 53
    3. Ferdinand (1923- ) & Viola (Duerksen) Ediger – p. 56
    4. George Edward (1931- ) & Martha (Giesbrecht) (1927- ) Janzen – p. 59
    5. Anna Dyck – p. 62
    6. Peter & Mary (Klassen) Derksen – p. 64
    7. Raymond & Phyllis Reimer – p. 67
    8. Agnes M. Dueck – p. 69
  8. Africa
    1. Peter Falk – p. 71
    2. Tina Warkentin – p. 73
  9. Taiwan
    1. Helen Willms (1926- ) – p. 75
    2. Dr. Alvin T. (1929- ) & Ruby (Chin-lon) Friesen – p. 77
    3. Susan Martens – p. 79
    4. Frieda Fast – p. 80
    5. Peter & Lydia (Pankratz) (1927- ) Kehler – p. 81
    6. Shirley Hildebrandt – p. 83
  10. (China) Indonesia
    1. Peter (1928- ) & Vera (Suderman) Fast – p. 86
    2. Anne Warkentin (1925- ) – p. 88
    3. Tina Letkemann (1921- ) – p. 89