Regier, Johannes (1881-1956)
Johannes Regier: minister and elder; born 13 March 1881 in Rueckenau, West Prussia, the sixth of twelve children of Peter Regier (14 January 1851-11 April 1925) and Anna (Enss) Regier (23 April 1855-23 April 1914). Johannes married Ann Martha Erna Adrian (10 March 1883, Klein Nebrau, Marienwerder, Prussia - 2 May 1964, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) on 31 May 1906 in Tiefengrund, Saskatchewan. John and Erna had seven children: Ella, Anna, Cornelius, Erhart, Paul, Otto, and Wanda. Johannes died 24 September 1956 in Aldergrove, British Columbia and was buried in the Murrayville Cemetery.
Johannes' father Peter was an estate holder and became the elder of the Rosenorter Mennoniten Gemeinde in 1888. At the age of twelve his family immigrated to Canada, settling in Gretna, Manitoba. Here he attended the German Fortbildungsschule with H. H. Ewert for two years. In 1894 his family moved to Tiefengrund, Saskatchewan where his father Peter became the founding elder of the Rosenort Mennonite Church.
The church recognized Johannes' potential for ministry and he was ordained on 22 January 1906. He served the congregation in Tiefengrund as well as in other congregations nearby, and was leader of the Tiefengrund congregation from 1911 until 1945. On 16 June 1927 he was ordained as elder for the Tiefengrund and Laird areas. He later assumed responsibility for the congregations in Capasin, Garthland and Horse Lake. He was called to serve with the Home Mission Board of the General Conference Mennonite Church, expanding his ministry to fifteen widely scattered churches.
Visiting these churches, which totaled 350 families, took much time and dedication, particularly in winter when Johannes traveled by horse and sleigh. He organized new churches, ordained ministers, and started Sunday schools in many communities.
When Erna's health began to fail, the family moved from Tiefengrund, Saskatchewan to the Coghlan, BC area in 1946. Regier was installed as leading minister of Coghlan (now Bethel) Mennonite Church on 29 June 1947. He faithfully served the church and made many house calls by foot because he had no vehicle. He remained leader until 1955 when he was replaced by N. N. Friesen.
Johannes often quoted the following verse from the pulpit: "I have a Saviour, who from cradle to grave, to the throne where He is honoured, belongs to me, a sinner."
Bibliography
Bethel Mennonite Church: 1936-1980. Aldergrove: Bethel Mennonite Church, n.d.
Der Bote (10 October 1956): 7.
GRANDMA (The Genealogical Registry and Database of Mennonite Ancestry) Database, 6.00 ed. Fresno, CA: California Mennonite Historical Society, 2009: #168241.
Peters, Gerhard I. Remember Our Leaders: Conference of Mennonites in Canada 1902-1977. Clearbrook, BC: The Mennonite Historical Society of British Columbia, 1982.
| Author(s) | Richard D Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | October 2009 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. "Regier, Johannes (1881-1956)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2009. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Regier,_Johannes_(1881-1956)&oldid=74097.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. (October 2009). Regier, Johannes (1881-1956). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Regier,_Johannes_(1881-1956)&oldid=74097.
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