The Curitiba (Brazil) Mennonite Brethren Church had its beginning in 1936. The constituents forming this church were a group of settlers of this de­nomination who together with other Mennonites had moved for economic reasons from the Stoltz Plateau, Santa Catharina Province, to Parana Province, establishing the village Bouqueirao near the city of Curitiba. Here dairying became the means of livelihood because of the profitable market in Curitiba. With the group had also come Elder Jacob F. Huebert who became their leader by com­mon consent. The group increased to a mem­bership of around 400 in 1952. Because of the ad­vancing age of Elder Huebert, the congregation called Minister Peter Hamm into the responsibility of leadership.

The larger part of the Mennonite Brethren mem­bership is located at Bouqueirao. Some of the mem­bers living at a distance from this location after 1949 gathered at Guaratuba for worship services under the leadership of Minister Peter Janzen. For larger festivities and for communion services the two groups united at Bouqueirao.

It should be inserted here that during the initial years following 1936 the three Mennonite groups represented in this area, namely, the Mennonite Brethren, the General Conference, and the Evan­gelical Mennonites, met in union services for several Sundays during each month. The small and newer group of settlers at Vila Guaira conducted their services unitedly in the 1950s regardless of church affiliation, which has been a common practice in South Amer­ica when settlements were started containing fami­lies from the various Mennonite groups.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 747. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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