Vineland Mennonite Brethren Church (Vineland, Ontario, Canada)
The Vineland Mennonite Brethren congregation at Vineland, ON began services in 1927, and formally organized on November 20, 1932 under the leadership of D. Klassen. The first building was occupied in 1937, with a subsequent building program in 1960. The first meeting place was a rented implement shed where services were held with members of the United Mennonite Church. Later the building was bought by the congregation and converted into an attractive church building, with a tabernacle-like appearance. The congregation originated through immigration from the Soviet Union and from Alberta.
The leaders of the congregation have been Johann Dick (1932–1933), Gerhard Mathies (1934), Dietrich Klassen (1935–1936), Gerhard Reimer (1937), Heinrich Wiebe (1938–1939, 1949–1956), Peter Dirksen (1940–1948), Aron Wall (1957–1959), Henry Voth (1960–1963), John Schmidt (1964–1968), Jay Neufeld (1969–1973), Isaac Block (1973–1981), Gerry Ediger (1982–1985), Murray Unruh (1986–1990), Harold Loewen (1991, 1993–1995), Helmut Koop (1992), Henry Wiebe (1996–2001), Doug Schulz (2002–2005), Tom Warner (2005– )
In 1950 there were 270 members; in 1965, 334; in 1985, 267; in 1995, 219; in 2000, 215. The congregation has been affiliated with the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1932-), Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1932-) and General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1939-2002). The language of worship is English and German; the transition from German occurred in the 1960s.
The congregation's address is Box 1, 3970 Glendale Ave., Vineland, ON, L0R 2C0. (905) 562-7391. Located .5 km west of Victoria Rd.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (15 April 1960): 1.
Mennonite Reporter (27 November 1972): 14.
Mennonite Brethren Herald (27 May 1988): 52.
From His Fullness: a Brief Survey of the History of the Vineland Mennonite Brethren Church. Vineland, ON: Vineland Mennonite Brethren Church, 1962, 44 pp.
Fortieth Anniversary: Mennonite Brethren Church, Vineland, Ontario. 1972, 20 pp.
History of the Vineland MB Church 1932-1982, Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.
Additional Information
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 828. 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: Janzen, H.H. and Marlene Epp. "Vineland Mennonite Brethren Church (Vineland, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 1986. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 11 May 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/V554ME.html>
APA style: Janzen, H.H. and Marlene Epp. (April 1986). "Vineland Mennonite Brethren Church (Vineland, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 11 May 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/V554ME.html>
