The New Hamburg Mennonite Brethren congregation began services in 1926. The congregation initially held services together with the United Mennonites in rented facilities. It organized as a Mennonite Brethren congregation on 20 November 1932 under the leadership of Peter Goertzen. The ministers who served the congregation were D. Dersken, Peter Goertzen, A. Block and P. Friesen. The group, always small, suffered greatly when some of its members moved to areas where they could join larger congregations. on 10 June 1950 it chose to join the Kitchener Mennonite Brethren Church on Ottawa St. as an affiliate. While I.T. Ewert supplied the pulpit, lay leader Gerhard Wiebe served as the local leader, with David Dick succeeding him. When pupit supply became difficult the group dissolved and its members joined the Kitchener Mennonite Brethren Church on 29 September 1952.

During its existence the congregation was affiliated with the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1932-52), Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1946-52) and General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1939-52). The language of worship was German.

Initially the membership was 32, and reached its zenith of 65 in the mid-1930s. In 1947 there were 17 members; at dissolution there were about 16 members. The congregation met upstairs at 122 Peel St., New Hamburg.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 861-862. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

©1996-2008 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

To cite this page:

MLA style: Toews, Jacob J. and Sam Steiner. "New Hamburg Mennonite Brethren Church (New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2004. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 09 May 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/N4923.html>

APA style: Toews, Jacob J. and Sam Steiner. (April 2004). "New Hamburg Mennonite Brethren Church (New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 09 May 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/N4923.html>