Elmwood Mennonite Brethren Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)
145 Henderson Hwy., Winnipeg, MB, R2L 1L4. (204) 668-3244. Pastor Abe Klassen served in 1995 as a salaried congregational leader. (Pastors have been salaried since 1949.) In 1913 there were 33 members; in 1925, 60; in 1950, 301; in 1965, 621; in 1985, 450; in 1995, 398. The congregation has been affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba 1929-), the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1929-) and the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1929-). The language of worship is English and German; the transition from German occurred in the 1960s.
The congregation began services in 1907, and formally organized in 1913. The first building was occupied in 1911, with subsequent building programs in 1929 and 1954. John Warkentin is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through urbanization from rural Manitoba. Several persons from the Winkler area opened a mission in Winnipeg in 1907 under the leadership of John Warkentin. The Northern District (Canadian) Conference took over the venture in 1913. The congregation had its own leading minister after 1937.
The congregation was known as North End Mennonite Brethren until 1953 when a new building was located in the Elmwood district. Originally North End, South End, and North Kildonan Mennonite Brethren were under one organization, along with a number of rural branches in Springstein, Marquette, McAuley, Foxwarren and Moosehorn-Ashern.
In 1936 the South End (Portage Ave. Mennonite Brethren) group organized with a membership of 110. In 1942 Springstein organized with 50 members.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (20 May 1960), 17.
Mennonite Brethren Herald (27 May 1988): 42.
Thiessen, Anna. "Die Entstehung und Entwickelung der Mennoniten Brueder Gemeinde in Winnipeg, 1907-1966." 1966, 152 pp. Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.
Klassen, Catherine. "Early History of North End and Elmwood MB Church." 5 pp. Mennonite Historical Society of Canada collection, Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
Elmwood Mennonite Brethren Church: pictorial history 1970 (1970), 63 pp. Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.
Toews, John A. A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church: Pilgrims and Pioneers. 1975: 162.
Penner, Peter. No Longer at Arm's Length: Mennonite Brethren Church Planting in Canada. Winnipeg, MB : Kindred Press, 1987.
Church records at Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.
©1996-2008 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
To cite this page:
MLA style: Redekopp, I.W. and Marlene Epp. "Elmwood Mennonite Brethren Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 1989. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 15 May 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/E543ME.html>
APA style: Redekopp, I.W. and Marlene Epp. (February 1989). "Elmwood Mennonite Brethren Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 15 May 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/E543ME.html>
