Revision as of 19:05, 20 August 2013

Winkler Mennonite Brethren Church at Winkler, Manitoba, the oldest Mennonite Brethren Church in Canada, began as the result of home mission effort of the Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Church. In 1883 the Conference sent Heinrich Voth and David Dyck as evangelists to Manitoba. On 30 May 1886, the first baptismal service was held, when six members were received into church membership. The church formally organized in 1888.

Gerhard Wiebe, an immigrant from Russia, organized the group into a congregation of 16 members. In 1889 the first church building was erected 6 miles northwest of Winkler, in the village of Burwalde. In 1895 David Dyck, a minister from Colorado, became leader of this church, which at that time numbered 84 members. Affiliated stations were opened at Kronsgart and Grossweide, which developed into new churches. Since 1898 there have been quarterly meetings in which all three congregations participated. In 1898 the church building was moved from Burwalde to just outside Winkler. Shortly after, a new one was erected on the same site; it was enlarged twice. In 1947 the building and lot were sold, and a new building was erected in Winkler, 60 x 102 ft., seating capacity 1,000. A new sanctuary was completed in 1988.

In 1895 Johann Warkentin was ordained as minister and in 1906 he became the presiding minister of the church, a position he held 25 years. In 1898 the Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Church was held at Winkler. This was the first time that it convened in Canada.

In 1906 P. H. Neufeld was ordained to the ministry. In 1931 H. S. Voth became leader and pastor of the church, followed by G. D. Pries. In 1959 the leader was J. H. Quiring, with a membership of 374.

The congregation has been affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba, the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1913- ) and the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1888-2002). The language of worship is English and German; the transition from German occurred in the 1960s.

Bibliography

Author(s)	H. H. Redekop
	Marlene Epp
Date Published	March 2012

Brown, Frank. A History of the Town of Winkler, Manitoba.

Brown, Frank. Mennonite Brethren Church, Winkler, Manitoba. Winkler, MB: Mennonite Brethren Church, 1963, 44 pp.

Canadian Mennonite (6 July 1956): 5; (12 November 1963): 1.

Mennonite Brethren Herald (1 April 1988): 14; (27 May 1988): 39.

Mennonite Historian (June 1988).

Mennonite Mirror (October 1988).

Neufeld, Arnie. "The First Mennonite Brethren Church in Canada." Mennonite Brethren Historical Society of Canada Newsletter (June 1981).

Neufeld, Arnie. "The Origin and Early Growth of the Mennonite Brethren Church in Southern Manitoba." MA Thesis, Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, 1977.

Toews, John A. A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church: Pilgrims and Pioneers. Fresno, CA, 1975: 153-156.

Archival Records

Church records at Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.

Additional Information

Directory Information:

Address: 120 Pineview Drive, Winkler, MB, R6W 1T3.

Telephone: 204-325-8322.

Winkler MB Church Ministers

Pastor	Years of Leadership
Heinrich Voth	1883–1887
Gerhard Wiebe	1888–1895
David Dyck	1895–1906
Johann Warkentin	1906–1931
H. S. Voth	1932–1950
G. D. Pries	1951–1954
J. H. Quiring	1955–1961
Herman Lenzmann	1962–1967
J. M. Schmidt	1968–1972
John D. Stoesz	1973–1981
Walter Janzen	1982–1985
Herb Van Bergen	1986–1988
Wally Klassen	1989–1995
George Baerg, interim	1995-1996
Neil Block	1996–2000
Victor Neufeld, interim	2000-2002
Gary Loewen	2002-2005
Phillip Vallelly	2005-present

Winkler MB Church Membership

Year	Members
1895	84
1925	325
1930	390
1935	383
1941	379
1945	325
1950	375
1959	374
1965	327
1975	393
1985	457
1995	380
2000	409
2010	500

Maps

Map:Winkler MB Church (Winkler, Manitoba, Canada)

Cite This Article

MLA style

Redekop, H. H. and Marlene Epp. "Winkler Mennonite Brethren Church (Winkler, Manitoba, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2012. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Winkler_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Winkler,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=78855.

APA style

Redekop, H. H. and Marlene Epp. (March 2012). Winkler Mennonite Brethren Church (Winkler, Manitoba, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Winkler_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Winkler,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=78855.

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 The congregation has been affiliated with the [[Manitoba Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches|Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba]], the [[Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches|Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches]] (1913-    ) and the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1888-2002). The language of worship is English and German; the transition from German occurred in the 1960s.
 = Bibliography =
 Brown, Frank. <em>A History of the Town of Winkler, Manitoba.</em>
@@ Line 32: / Line 30: @@
 <h3>Archival Records</h3> Church records at [http://www.mbconf.ca/mbstudies/ Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.]
 = Additional Information =
 <strong>Directory Information:

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