Riverbend Fellowship (Borden, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Borden Mennonite Brethren Church, ca. 1950-1951
Creator: Henry J. Wiens (1885-1975)
Digitized by Hiebert Library. Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies.

Riverbend Fellowship in Borden, Saskatchewan (formally known as Borden Mennonite Brethren Church) was founded by Mennonite immigrants who arrived in Canada between the first two major Mennonite migrations from Russia. They settled in the Borden district in 1902–1903, hoping to benefit from the opportunity to obtain 160 acres as a homestead with the option of purchasing even more acreage. Their leader was David Klassen who had immigrated with them.

The congregation began meeting in 1903 and organized officially in 1906. At first they used the school of Hoffnungsfeld as a meeting place. By 1907 they had completed the construction of their first church building which was used until 1952, when a new church sanctuary was constructed.

One of the church’s first outreach programs was the support it gave to Herman Fast and his Russian ministry at Blaine Lake. Another outreach was the formation of a Sunday school among the Old Colony Mennonites in the Walter Scott school.

Ministers who served the congregation prior to 1950 included David K. Klassen, Elder David Dyck (served 1906-1910), John A. Harder (served 1919-1935), Jacob J. Wiens, Jacob A. Nickel and A. K. Rempel. Paid ministers began to serve in 1965.

The congregation was first known as Hoffnungsfeld Mennonite Brethren. The language of worship is English; the transition from German occurred in the 1950s.

In 1955 the church celebrated its Golden Jubilee anniversary and in 1980 published a history book entitled Precious Memories: Borden Mennonite Brethren Church 1905–1980.

In 2009 the congregation relocated from a rural setting (northwest of Section 15, Township 41, Range 8 west of 3rd Meridian) to the town of Borden, and changed its name to Riverbend Fellowship.

Bibliography

Mennonite Brethren Herald (27 May 1988): 68.

"Minutes of the 64th Annual Convention of the Saskatchewan Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches: March 12 & 13, 2010." Saskatchewan Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches." Web. 28 July 2011. http://sk.mbconf.ca/news/convention2011/2010-minutes.pdf.

Toews, John A. A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church: Pilgrims and Pioneers. 1975: 155, 158.

Unruh, Ewald and Orla Block. "Borden MB Church History (1905-1980)." Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.

Archival Records

Congregational Records at Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.

Additional Information

Address: Box 256, R. R. 1, Borden, Saskatchewan S0K 0N0 (Located northwest of Section 15, Township 41, Range 8 west of 3rd Meridian)

Phone: 306-997-4924

Denominational Affiliations:

Saskatchewan Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

Pastors since 1965

Minister	Years
Henry Gossen	1965-1977
Reuben Derksen	1977-1978
Ewald Unruh	1979-1981
Richard Schellenberg	1982-1988
Les Riediger	1989-1994
Eldon Fehr	1994-1999
Tony Martens	2000-2016

Membership

Year	Members
1950	87
1965	80
1985	87
1993	72
2000	72
2010	49

Author(s)	J. H. Epp
	Marlene Epp
Date Published	July 2011

Cite This Article

MLA style

Epp, J. H. and Marlene Epp. "Riverbend Fellowship (Borden, Saskatchewan, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2011. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Riverbend_Fellowship_(Borden,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=133772.

APA style

Epp, J. H. and Marlene Epp. (July 2011). Riverbend Fellowship (Borden, Saskatchewan, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Riverbend_Fellowship_(Borden,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=133772.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 389. All rights reserved.

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