Whitewater Mennonite Church (Boissevain, Manitoba, Canada)
Whitewater Mennonite Church was established by immigrants fleeing persecution in Russia and Western Europe. They moved to Canada, many starting farms in the rural area. Originally settling around the village of Whitewater, Manitoba, Canada. As urbanization started to pick up steam in rural Manitoba, many moved their business to Boissevain. This led the village to die out, and all the businesses and the church moved to Boissevain.
The Whitewater Mennonite congregation at Boissevain, Manitoba, began services in 1925, and formally organized on 18 April 1927. The first stone church was built in 1925 and used until 1939. The country church was built two miles east of Whitewater and used until 1960 when the current church in Boissevain was built.
Franz F. Enns is considered the founding leader of the group.
The Whitewater church had seven branch congregations: Whitewater, Rivers, Ninga, Lena, Crystal City, Manitou, and Mather.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (14 October 1960): 5.
Dyck, Robert. "The History of the Whitewater Mennonite Church." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1980, 35 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.
History of the Whitewater Mennonite Church, Boissevain, Manitoba, 1927-1987. Boissevain, Man.: The Church, 1987. Available in full electronic text at: https://digitalcollections.lib.umanitoba.ca/islandora/object/uofm%3A2367022.
Mennonite Reporter (16 May 1977): 4.
Neufeld, G. G. Die Geschichte der Whitewater Mennoniten Gemeinden in Manitoba, Canada 1925-1965. Altona: D. W. Friesen, 1967, 242 pp.
Peters, Alvin H. "A History of the Whitewater Mennonite Church." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1967, 13 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Tiessen, Valentine. "The Whitewater Mennonite Settlement." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1956, 25 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Archival Records
Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives, Winnipeg, MB: Volumes 40, 661, 2633, 2934, 3918, 4447, 5316.
Additional Information
Mailing Address: Box 715, Boissevain, MB R0K 0E0
Location: 158 Aberdeen Street, Boissevain, Manitoba R0K 0E0
Telephone: 204-534-6889
Website: https://whitewatermc.ca/
Denominational Affiliations:
Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba / Mennonite Church Manitoba
Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1928-present)
General Conference Mennonite Church (1929-1999)
Whitewater Mennonite Church Ministers
| Minister | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Franz F. Enns | 1931-1939 |
| Gerhard G. Neufeld | 1930-1995 |
| Peter Janzen | 1931-1942 |
| Abr. Neufeld | 1931-1936 |
| Gerhard G. Neufeld | 1931-1949 |
| Jacob Born | 1932-1964 |
| Peter Harms | 1950-1957 |
| Bernhard Neufeld | 1950-1974 |
| Ed Cornelsen | 1958-1965 |
| Jacob Harms | 1958-1970 |
| Jake Neufeld | 1967-1994 |
| Peter Peters | 1971-1989 |
| Werner Neufeld | 1972-1973 |
| Henry Harder | 1982-1983 |
| Reuben Siemens | 1985-1986 |
| Valery Isbicki | 1987-1989 |
| Al Rempel | 1995-2000 |
| Peter Janzen | 2001-2002 |
| Wally Kroeker | 1999-2011 |
| Judith Froese Doell | 2002-2011 |
| Erwin Warkentin, interim | 2011-2013 |
| Wes Goertzen | 2014-present |
Whitewater Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 230 |
| 1975 | 255 |
| 1985 | 265 |
| 1995 | 192 |
| 2000 | 180 |
| 2020 | 60 |
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene. "Whitewater Mennonite Church (Boissevain, Manitoba, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2021. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Whitewater_Mennonite_Church_(Boissevain,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=171883.
APA style
Epp, Marlene. (June 2021). Whitewater Mennonite Church (Boissevain, Manitoba, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Whitewater_Mennonite_Church_(Boissevain,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=171883.
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