Zoar Mennonite Church (Langham, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Mennonites had arrived in the Langham, SK area at the turn of the 20th century mainly from Kansas, Minnesota and the Dakotas. The Zoar Mennonite Church was first organized with fourteen families in Langham in 1910. They built their own meeting house in 1911. Another congregation was organized in the Waldheim area with their own meeting house in 1911. Initially the two congregations (Langham and Waldheim) were under one organization. This church joined the Conference of Mennonites in Canada in 1914.
In 1943 the meeting house was expanded. In 1954 the building was expanded in part because the Bethesda Mennonite Church had dissolved in 1948 and many of its members joined the Zoar congregation in Langham. In 1960 it was again expanded.
In 1958 there were 180 members; in 1965, 169; in 1975, 162; in 1985, 176; in 1995, 157; in 2000, 153. The congregation has been affiliated with the Conference of Mennonites of Saskatchewan (1959-), Conference of Mennonites in Canada (1914-) and General Conference Mennonite Church (1911-). The language of worship is English; the transition from German occurred in the 1950s.
The leaders of the congregation have included Nicholas Toews (1910-1914), Henry Wiebe (1915-1923), John G. Rempel (1923-1935), William Buhr (1935-1937), Jacob J. Nickel (1937-1952, 1954), Gerhard Zacharias (1951), Hans Dyck (1952-1953), Henry A. Wiens (1954-1965), Doris and David Friesen (1966-1970), Ruben Siemens (1971-1973), Ray Wahl (1974-1977), Katie and John Friesen (1977-1984), Abe Baergen (1985), Henry Wiens (1986-1988), Garry Janzen (1989-1999), Herman J. Wiebe (2000- ).
The congregation's address is Box 285, Langham, SK, S0K 2L0. (306) 283-4494. The church is located on 1st St. East.
Bibliography
Mennonite Encyclopedia, "Zoar."
Derksen, Lynda, et al. Our Heritage, Our Treasure: Zoar Mennonite Church, Langham, Saskatchewan, 1910-1985. Langham, SK: Zoar Mennonite Church, 1985, 108 pp.
Additional Information
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To cite this page:
MLA style: Friesen, Bert. "Zoar Mennonite Church (Langham, Saskatchewan, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2002. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 July 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/Z637.html>
APA style: Friesen, Bert. (December 2002). "Zoar Mennonite Church (Langham, Saskatchewan, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 July 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/Z637.html>
