British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

Black Creek Mennonite Brethren Church, ca. 1950
Creator: Henry J. Wiens (1885-1975)
Digitized by Hiebert Library. Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies

Black Creek Mennonite Brethren Church, Black Creek, BC, 2012.

Black Creek Community Church (formerly Black Creek Mennonite Brethren Church), 11 miles (18 km) north of Courtenay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, is a member of the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

Settlement in the Black Creek area of Vancouver Island was considered by Mennonites in the early 1930s when the Comox Colonization Society began advertising the sale of 100 acre plots of recently logged land. The land price was reasonable and it attracted several dozen Mennonite families who were either recent immigrants from the Soviet Union or prairie farmers who wanted to overcome the drought and failures of the Great Depression. They sought to form a compact and exclusive Mennonite settlement similar to what they had known in Imperial Russia. These Mennonites included Mennonite Brethren and Conference of Mennonites in Canada members.

Thought the mild climate was encouraging, land clearing was difficult for logging had left behind massive tree stumps and mountains of debris. Once the land was cleared, the soil proved less fertile than hoped. This forced the men to find means of earning a living in addition to farming, and often required them to be away from their families. Being on an island brought a sense of isolation from the larger Mennonite communities in the Fraser Valley and the Prairie Provinces, and their continued use of the German language in the first three decades sometimes created a barrier with their non-Mennonite neighbors. Unfortunately these difficulties led some families to leave.

On 30 December 1934, a group of seventeen Mennonite families began plans for the formation of what was to become the Black Creek Mennonite Brethren Church. The decision was formalized 6 January 1935, with 34 members under the leadership of Franz Friesen, who served as the first pastor. After considerable discussion, the name Merville Mennonite Brethren Church was chosen, since, at that time, Merville, British Columbia was the closest post office. However, as of a 1 February 1937 meeting, the official name was changed to Black Creek Mennonite Brethren Church. During this same meeting, members also decided to seek affiliation with the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

Land for a building site was donated by a Mr. Goertzen and Henry Falk, and a five-dollar per member levy also helped cover costs. The building was dedicated December 1937, and with a 150 seating capacity, served the church until 1953. At this time a new structure, seating about 200 people, was built almost entirely with volunteer labor. The new building was dedicated 11 April 1954 with J. F. Redekop and Johannes A. Harder as guest speakers.

In 1942 John A. Goerz responded to the call to serve as pastor. In addition to pastoral duties he led the Black Creek Bible School for several years and received a very modest salary for teaching in the winter months. In 1960, the congregation hired Johannes A. Harder as its first paid pastor. Harder served the church for three years, helping it through a difficult transition to English-language services. 

A foyer section with additional Sunday school classes was added in the summer of 1966, and, in 1973, a two storey educational wing was added.

In 2010 the congregation had a membership of 242 and an average attendance of 178. In August of that year the congregation celebrated its 75th anniversary.

In 2014 the congregation changed its name to Black Creek Community Church.

Bibliography

Mennonite Brethren Herald (27 May 1988): 13.

Macy, Harold. "A home on the Island." Mennonite Brethren Herald (1 October 2010). <http://mbherald.com/at-home-on-the-island/>

Archival Records

Microfilmed records at Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.

Additional Information

Address: 7898 Island Highway, Black Creek BC  V9J 1G5

Phone: 250-337-5423

Church website: Black Creek MB Church

Denominational Affiliations:

British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1935-present)

Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1935-present)

General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches of North America (1935-2002)

Black Creek MB Ministers

Minister	Years
Jacob Falk	1940-1942
John A. Goerz	1942-1956
Jacob B. Falk	1956-1960
Jacob Schoenke	1940-1960
Cornelius Thiessen	1956-1960
Bernard Falk	1956-1960
Alvin Philippsen	1956-1960
Abert Wedel	1956-1960
Johannes A. Harder	1960-1963
John E. Klassen	1963-1974
Albert Durksen	1975-1980
John Falk	1981-1985
Alvin Philippsen	1985-1986
Barry Falk	1987-present

Black Creek MB Membership

Year	Membership
1935	25
1941	45
1945	27
1950	52
1955	69
1960	89
1965	91
1970	95
1975	82
1980	75
1985	75
1990	69
1995	128
2000	163
2004	205
2010	242
2015	218

Maps

Map:Black Creek MB Church (Black Creek, BC)

Author(s)	John A. Goerz
	Hugo Friesen
Date Published	March 2016

Cite This Article

MLA style

Goerz, John A. and Hugo Friesen. "Black Creek Community Church (Black Creek, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2016. Web. 23 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Black_Creek_Community_Church_(Black_Creek,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=155523.

APA style

Goerz, John A. and Hugo Friesen. (March 2016). Black Creek Community Church (Black Creek, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Black_Creek_Community_Church_(Black_Creek,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=155523.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 351. All rights reserved.

©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.