La Crete, Alberta, Canada Source: Wikipedia Commons

La Crete, Alberta is a predominantly Mennonite community with a population of 2,039 in 2003, more than double its 1995 population of 995. La Crete also acts as the hub for more than 5,000 rural residents in the area. It is located 400 km. north of the town of Peace River and 800 km. north of Edmonton (coodinates: 55° 10′ 0″ N, 114° 24′ 0″ W).

Old Colony Mennonites from the Hague-Osler areas in Saskatchewan began moving to the Peace River area of Alberta in the 1930s, eventually settling in La Crete in 1936. The settlers were initially served by Elder Johann Loeppky and other leaders from the Hague Old Colony Church. The first minister to settle in the area was Isaac Wieler, who arrived in 1938 from Hague, Saskatchewan. On 29 June 1939 Isaac Hiebert and Cornelius Krahn (d. 2000) were ordained as ministers and Abram Bergen (d. 1961) as deacon. On 9 October 1941 Wilhelm P. Wiebe (d. 1977), who had been ordained as a minister the previous year, was ordained as elder of the church at La Crete. John Klassen succeeded Wilhelm P. Wiebe as elder of the church on 18 June 1978.

The first church building was the Reinland church in La Crete, dedicated on 5 July 1951. A 20 foot addition was added in 1963, and a new church building dedicated on 26 September 1982. Church services began in Blumenort in 1952, with a new church building dedicated on 26 August 1984. The Buffalo Head Prairie (Rosenfeld) church building was dedicated on 3 November 1957, with an addition built in 1974, and a church building was dedicated at Tompkins Landing (Neanlage) on 29 June 1986.

Other ministers who have served the church included Cornelius Giesbrecht, who moved to the area from British Columbia, Isaak T. Goertzen and John K. Peters, both ordained as ministers in 1955 (both later moved to Bolivia), Jac. J. Froese, who died in 1993, John J. Wolfe, Jac. W. Wiebe and Abram Wieler, all ordained to the ministry in 1961, Jacob T. Wiebe and Herman Giesbrecht, both ordained to the ministry in 1971, John Klassen, elected as a minister in 1975, John Wassen, Herman Friesen, John T. Wolfe, elected in 1976, Jacob Schapansky, ordained in 1978, and John Harms, Peter Giesbrecht and Peter Fehr, elected in 1995.

The Old Colony Church at La Crete has close ties with the Old Colony Mennonite Church at Vauxhall, Alberta, and with the Sommerfelder Mennonite Church in the La Crete area.

Most children attend public schools, with some attending private schools run by Old Colony members in Tomkins Landing and in Buffalo Head. Most of the children attending the public schools also attend German school operated by church members on Friday and Saturday nights.

The total size of the church in 1987 was 2,163 (including children) while in 2000 the membership was 1,031 with a total of 2,300 attending. The church was served by seven ministers and 20 deacons, along with the elder. Besides the four church buildings, services were also held in the La Crete Long Term Care Home and in the Seniors' Lodge in La Crete. The language of worship was German and Low German.

Bibliography

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MLA style: Thiessen, Richard D. "Old Colony Mennonite Church (La Crete, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2008. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 08 November 2009 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/O525.html>

APA style: Thiessen, Richard D. (December 2008). "Old Colony Mennonite Church (La Crete, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 08 November 2009 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/O525.html>