Clairmont Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Church (Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada)
In 1917, Mennonites from Zoar Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Church in Inman, Kansas, began to settle in the Peace River area of Alberta in order to avoid the possibility that they or their children would be conscripted to fight for the United States in World War I. The first to settle in the area were the D. Z. Wiebe, Peter Schroeder, Jacob Peters, and K. D. Willems families. Others followed in 1918. The small group of Mennonite settlers began to gather for worship in 1918 in a blacksmith shop purchased by Jacob Peters and relocated by him to his property two miles weste and one half mile south of the hamlet of Clairmont, located approximately 10 km. (6.2 miles) north of Grande Prairie. The building was expanded by the congregation.
The first leader was K. D. Willems. His burden for neighboring Ukrainian settlers in the area led to the baptism of several of them. The congregation also grew through the immigration of Mennonites from Russia in the 1920s and the settlement of Mennonites from Saskatchewan. These included the families of Alexander Voth, John Nickel, Peter Epp, Cornelius Friesen, Nick Siebert, Henry Voth, and Jacob Hubner. Short-term Bible schools were conducted by the congregation for youth from the congregation.
By 1928, Mennonite Brethren families in La Glace chose to establish their own church. Many who were originally from the United States chose to return to their native country, and other families moved to Debolt, Alberta. By the early 1930s, many families had left. At this time, ministers from the La Glace Mennonite Brethren Church provided leadership on Sunday mornings until the church closed.
Leaders in the church included K. D. Willems, B. Z. Wiebe, P. C. Schroeder, Conrad Lehman, and Reinold Eckstein.
Bibliography
Mennonite Reporter (18 March 1974): 10.
The Mennonite Sojourn in the Peace River Area: A Companion to Our Reunion, June 15, 16, 17, 2001, David Friesen, gen. ed. 2001.
| Author(s) | Richard D Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | May 2013 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. "Clairmont Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Church (Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. May 2013. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Clairmont_Krimmer_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Grande_Prairie,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=87917.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. (May 2013). Clairmont Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Church (Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Clairmont_Krimmer_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Grande_Prairie,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=87917.
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