The first members of this congregation assembled for worship services in the Gnadenau school near Hillsboro, which was later purchased for that purpose. In 1910 the Mennonite Brethren church building, seating 250, was purchased and moved. John D. Dueck was the first resident minister, serving 1887-1918. In 1919 his son David H. Dyck was ordained to the ministry and served until 1943. Other ministers included P. G. Hiebert and Jona Dyck. Most of the members were of Dutch-North German-Russian descent and many continued to speak the Low German dialect in their homes throughout much of the twentieth century. The Sunday school was organized in 1913. A sewing circle, started in 1921, helped to support mission stations, hospitals and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) relief work. Sunday-school enrollment in 1953 was 122, and church membership 88.      

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 44. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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