Old Colony Mennonite Church (Altkolonier Mennonitengemeinde) is a name given to designate the ecclesiastical organization of the Old Colony Mennonites of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Mexico. The Old Colony Mennonites themselves do not use this name in English and others have started using it only recently. In the memorandum written by the Old Colony Mennonites of Manitoba to the government in February 1919 they spoke of themselves as the "Reinland - Mennoniten - Kirche oder Alte Kirche" (see Reinländer Mennoniten Gemeinde (Manitoba). President Obregon addressed them on 25 February 1921, as "Reinlaender Mennonitische Alt-kolonie." "Reinland" refers to the municipality in which the Old Colony Mennonites resided, and has become a part of their name. Even in Mexico the official church seal of the largest group contains it; viz., "Altkolonier Reinlaender Mennoniten Gemeinde." This would indicate that the Old Colony Mennonites went originally under the name "Reinland Mennonite Church," but have later incorporated the term "Old Colony." Old Colony Mennonite churches were located in Hague and Swift Current, Saskatchewan in addition to Manitoba. In Mexico they are subdivided in the following independent churches: Manitoba Old Colony Mennonite Church, Swift Current Old Colony Mennonite Church, and Santa Clara Old Colony Mennonite Church (Loeppke group), Cuauhtemoc, and Patos Old Colony Mennonite Church of Durango (see also Old Colony Mennonites; Manitoba; Mexico).

See also Reinländer Mennoniten Gemeinde (Manitoba).

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, pp. 37-38. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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