View source for Thiessen, Jacob Johann "J. J." (1893-1977)

[[File:ThiessenJJ.JPG|300px|thumb|right|''J. J. and Katherine Thiessen, 50th Wedding Anniversary.<br />
Source: Mennonite Archives of Ontario'']]
Jacob Johann "J. J." Thiessen was born 31 August 1893 in [[Klippenfeld (Molotschna Mennonite Settlement, Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Klippenfeld]], [[Molotschna Mennonite Settlement (Zaporizhia Oblast, Ukraine)|Molotschna Mennonite Settlement]], South [[Russia|Russia]], the third of nine children of Johann J. Thiessen (26 August 1864, Klippenfeld, Molotschna, South Russia - 31 May 1928, Klippenfeld, Molotschna, South Russia) and Margaretha (Neufeld) Thiessen (22 November 1869, Klippenfeld, Molotschna, South Russia - 2 June 1921, Klippenfeld, Molotschna, South Russia). Jacob's father Johann also had three children from a previous marriage. On 16 September 1917 Jacob married Katherine Kornelsen (23 November 1893, Tiegenhagen, Molotschna, South Russia - 2 February 1984, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada), daughter of Jacob H. Kornelsen (1849-1926) and Helena (Martens) Kornelsen (1851-1945). Jacob and Katherine shared 60 years of marriage and had five children: Jacob (died aged two), Hedwig, Katherine, Helena, and Walter. Jacob died 25 August 1977 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he was buried.

Jacob taught in the villages of Tiegenhagen and Fischau in the Molotschna Mennonite Settlement. During the emigration of 1923-25 he assisted three transports of Mennonite emigrants to leave for [[Canada|Canada]]. In October 1926, he and his family also left for Canada. In July 1930 he became a mission worker in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This led to the establishment of the [[Mennonite Girls' Home (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada)|Girls' Home]] in 1931, with the Thiessens as houseparents (1931-56), and to the organization of [[First Mennonite Church (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada)|First Mennonite Church]]. J. J. Thiessen was ordained as minister (1932) and as bishop (elder, 1938) and served that congregation until his retirement in 1964.

Interest in and concern for refugees ran like a red cord through his life activities. He was secretary (1927-1946) and chairperson (1946-1960) of the [[Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization|Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization]] (which became the [[Canadian Mennonite Relief and Immigration Council|Canadian Mennonite Relief and Immigration Council]] in 1959; Thiessen was also chairperson of this council until it joined with other Mennonite organizations to form [[Mennonite Central Committee Canada|Mennonite Central Committee Canada]] in 1963). When that organization merged with several other Mennonite agencies to form [[Mennonite Central Committee Canada|Mennonite Central Committee Canada]] he became a member of that board. From 1947 to 1964 he served on the executive committee of MCC ([[Akron (Pennsylvania, USA)|Akron, Pennsylvania]]), and in 1948 he visited refugee camps in Europe, seeking to open doors to bring displaced persons to Canada. In 1950 he traveled to [[South America|South America]] to visit Mennonite communities there, encouraging, strengthening, preaching, and counseling wherever he went.

He was deeply involved in the work of the [[Mennonite Church Canada|Conference of Mennonites in Canada]], attending its sessions from 1927, and participating in various committees until 1943 when he was elected moderator of the conference, a position he held until 1959. In 1941 he was appointed to a committee to study the need for a theological training institute in Canada; he served as the chairperson of the committee and helped establish [[Canadian Mennonite Bible College (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)|Canadian Mennonite Bible College]] in Winnipeg in 1947. He was the chairperson of the college's board of directors until 1966. Thiessen was also a member of the [[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite Church]] (GCM) Board of Foreign Missions from 1947 until 1958, and of the editorial board for <em>[[Bote, Der (Periodical)|Der Bote]]</em> from 1955 until 1977 (17 years as chairperson). In 1955 he received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from [[Bethany Theological Seminary (Richmond, Indiana, USA)|Bethany Biblical Seminary]], with which [[Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Chicago, Illinois, USA) |Mennonite Biblical Seminary]] (GCM) was associated.

Records indicate that he ordained 21 missionaries, 22 ministers, and 12 elders, officiated at 356 weddings and 290 funerals, and baptized more than 600 people. A man with a love for people, J. J. Thiessen helped to weld the General Conference Mennonite congregations in Canada into a strong, unified body, and laid a solid foundation of training for pastoral and lay leaders in Canadian churches.
= Bibliography =
Dyck, Cornelius J., ed. with Robert Kreider, John A. Lapp, and others. <em>The Mennonite Central Committee Story,</em> vol. 4: <em>Biographies: Something Meaningful for God.</em> Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1981.

Epp, Frank H.  <em>Mennonite Exodus: the Rescue and Resettlement of the Russian Mennonites since the Communist Revolution. </em>Altona, MB: D.W. Friesen, 1962.

Epp-Tiessen, Esther. <em>J. J. Thiessen : a Leader for His Time. </em> Winnipeg, MB: CMBC Publications, 2001.

GRANDMA (The <strong>G</strong>enealogical <strong>R</strong>egistry <strong>an</strong>d <strong>D</strong>atabase of <strong>M</strong>ennonite <strong>A</strong>ncestry) Database, 6.06 ed. Fresno, CA: <span class="link-external">[http://calmenno.org/index.htm California Mennonite Historical Society]</span>, 2011: #405904.

Patkau, Esther. <em>First Mennonite Church in Saskatoon 1923-1982. </em>Altona, MB: D. W. Friesen, 1982.

Patkau, Esther. "J. J. Thiessen's Ministry in Saskatoon." MTh Thesis, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon, 1979.

Rempel, J. G. <em>Fünfzig Jahre Konferenzbestrebungen 1902-1952 </em>pt. 2. Steinbach, MB: Derksen Printers for Conference of Mennonites in Canada 1952.

Springer, Nelson and A. J. Klassen, eds. <em>Mennonite Bibliography, 1631-1961 </em>II. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1977: 510.

Warkentin, A. and Melvin Gingerich, eds. <em>Who's Who Among the Mennonites.</em> North Newton, KS: Bethel College, 1943: 241.
{{GAMEO_footer|hp=Vol. 5, p. 885|date=July 2011|a1_last=Patkau|a1_first=Esther|a2_last= |a2_first= }}