Steinbach Mennonite Church (Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada)

Steinbach Mennonite Church
Source: Church website

The Steinbach Mennonite Church in Steinbach, Manitoba, began services on 17 July 1938, and formally organized in 1939. The first building was occupied in 1941, with subsequent building programs in 1951, 1974, and 1989. Isaac Warkentin is considered the founding leader of the group. Mennonite immigrants from Russia had settled in the Steinbach area in the 1920s. They worshiped in the existing congregations there until the 1930s. In 1936 a group was formed as part of the Schönwieser Gemeinde. In 1942 they became an independent congregation.

Initially the church was served by the Schoenwiese Mennonite church group but a split developed between members who wished affiliation with the Schoenwiese and those who wished to be autonomous. The church's application for membership in the Conference of Mennonites in Canada in 1942 was initially rejected because of opposition from the Schoenwiese, but after some deliberation the application was accepted. Shortly after, members who had wanted to remain with the Schoenwiese locked the doors to the new church because they had helped financially towards its construction. Schoenwiese members continued to attend but did not transfer membership from the mother church. Because of its previous association with the Schoenwiese, the name Steinbach Mennonite was not used until 1942. The transition from German occurred in the 1960s.

Bibliography

"About the Steinbach Mennonite Church." Steinbach Mennonite Church. Web. 12 November 2013. http://www.steinbachmennonite.ca/?page=about/index.

Mennonite Reporter (3 February 1975): 10; (30 October 1989): 16; (24 August 1992): 16.

Hildebrand, Helen. "The Historical Development of the Steinbach Mennonite Church." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1965, 12 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.

Froese, Franz J., ed. Steinbach Mennoniten Gemeinde: 25 Jahre 1943-1968. Steinbach: Steinbach Mennonite Church, 1968, 141 pp.

Harder, Leland. Steinbach and Its Churches. Elkhart, Indiana: Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 1970, 109 pp.

Mennonites in Canada Collection, "70-Steinbach," Mennonite Archives of Ontario.

Peters, Evelyn. "The History of the Steinbach Mennonite Church." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1978, 31 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.

Records microfilmed at Mennonite Heritage Centre.

Additional Information

Address: Box 2798, Steinbach MB R5G 1P2; located at 345 Loewen Blvd., Steinbach, Manitoba

Telephone: 204-326-2293

Website: Steinbach Mennonite Church

Denominational Affiliations:

Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba, / Mennonite Church Manitoba

Conference of Mennonites in Canada  / Mennonite Church Canada (1942-present)

General Conference Mennonite Church (1945-1999)

Steinbach Mennonite Church Leading Ministers

Minister	Years
Isaac Warkentin	1938-1942
Peter J. Reimer	1942-1957
Isaac Warkentin (interim)	1957
Henry P. Friesen	1957-1962
Frank K. Isaac	1962-1975
Abe Neufeld	1976-1989
Paul Dyck	1989-2000
Norm Voth (interim)	2000-2001
Gary Martens	2001-2012
Victor Kliewer (interim)	2012-2014

Steinbach Mennonite Church Membership

Year	Members
1943	55
1950	139
1965	101
1975	337
1985	432
1995	460
2000	434

Author(s)	Peter J. Reimer
	Marlene Epp
Date Published	July 1986

Cite This Article

MLA style

Reimer, Peter J. and Marlene Epp. "Steinbach Mennonite Church (Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 1986. Web. 24 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Steinbach_Mennonite_Church_(Steinbach,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=126304.

APA style

Reimer, Peter J. and Marlene Epp. (July 1986). Steinbach Mennonite Church (Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Steinbach_Mennonite_Church_(Steinbach,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=126304.

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