Manitoba Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

1958 Article

The Manitoba Conference of the Mennonite Brethren (MB) Church, was called in its Act of Incorporation "The Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba." The MB Church of Manitoba had its beginning on 30 May 1886, when Heinrich Voth baptized two couples. The place of beginning was Burwalde, near Winkler, where a little chapel was constructed. In 1898 this chapel was moved to Winkler. Then other churches sprang up around Winkler. A large influx of new immigrants arrived in 1922-1925, most of them settling in or near Winnipeg. In the 1950s the Mennonite Brethren Church was spread over the southern portion of the province, with a membership of 3,462 in 22 congregations.

On 5 April 1940 it was decided to incorporate the Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba, which was done. "The objects of the corporation are to promote, engage in and carry on the Christian Religion and Christian Worship and religious education according to the religious belief of the members of the corporation." The doctrines of the church were the fundamental teachings of the Bible about God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, as given in the Glaubensbekenntnis of the Mennonite Brethren Church. In 1955 there were 22 local churches in Manitoba, including five missions. The following institutions were owned by the Manitoba MB Church: one Bible school, one high school, one old folks' home, five mission stations, one Bible college (owned and supported by the whole Mennonite Brethren Church of Canada). The Conference met twice annually until 1942, since then only once annually.

The Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba was a member of the Northern District (Canadian) Conference, which held its meetings once annually in one of the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, North Saskatchewan, South Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. The Northern District Conference was a member of the General Conference of the M.B. Church of North America.

Outstanding personalities of the Manitoba Conference included H. S. Voth, A. H. Unruh, J. G. Wiens, H. H. Janzen, D. D. Derksen, and G. D. Pries. -- H. H. Redekop

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1990 Update

In 1929 the Mennonite Brethren congregations in Manitoba united to form a conference, which was incorporated in 1940 and amended its organization in 1982. Total membership in 2001 was 6,081, distributed among 33 congregations, with a heavy concentration of members in Winnipeg. A vigorous and active conference program concentrates on building the Kingdom of God. The Board of Missions and Church Extension supervises and supports church planting, student ministries, prison chaplaincy and counselling programs. MB Communications oversees television programs and English, German, Low German, and Russian radio releases. The German and Russian releases are broadcast all over the world. The Board of Educational Institutions directs Winkler Bible School and the Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute. The conference is also very active in inter-Mennonite projects, including Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Disaster Service, and Eden Mental Hospital in Winkler. -- William I. Neufeld

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2015 Update

In 2015 the Manitoba Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches had 42 congregations and 6,433 members. In 2015 the following congregations were members of the conference:

Church	City	Members	Average Weekly Attendance
Boissevain Mennonite Brethren Church	Boissevain	132	100
Christian Family Center	Winnipeg	19	25
Community Fellowship Church	Newton	142	122
Cornerstone Community Church	Flin Flon	35	45
Crossroads Mennonite Brethren Church	Winnipeg	110	75
Eastview Community Church	Winnipeg	467	622
Église Communautaire de la Rivière Rouge	Winnipeg	13	26
Elm Creek Mennonite Brethren Church	Elm Creek	224	250
Elmwood Mennonite Brethren Church	Winnipeg	268	150
FaithWorks	Winnipeg	61	120
Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren Church	Winnipeg	417	750
Fourth Avenue Bible Church	Niverville	99	102
Friends Community Church	Carman	16	70
Grace Church	Cranberry Portage	8	20
House Blend Ministries	Winnipeg		15
House of Covenant International Church	Winnipeg	28	55
Jubilee Mennonite Church	Winnipeg	119	92
Justice Mennonite Brethren Church	Justice	49	125
La Salle Community Fellowship	La Salle	86	140
Lakeview Community Church	Killarney	117	142
Manitou Mennonite Brethren Church	Manitou	71	60
McIvor Mennonite Brethren Church	Winnipeg	513	293
North Kildonan Mennonite Brethren Church	Winnipeg	700	566
One88	Winnipeg
Philadelphia Eritrean Church	Winnipeg	130	250
Portage Avenue Church	Winnipeg	217	138
Richmond Park Mennonite Brethren Church	Brandon	96	165
River East Church	Winnipeg	219	150
Salem Community Bible Church	Winnipeg	51	90
Selkirk Community Church	Selkirk	43	62
Slavic Evangelical Church	Winnipeg	33	50
Snow Lake Christian Centre Fellowship	Snow Lake	6	30
South Park Mennonite Brethren Church	Altona	152	115
Steinbach Mennonite Brethren Church	Steinbach	437	332
The Meeting Place	Winnipeg	240	790
Thompson Christian Centre Fellowship	Thompson	31	46
Walls of Freedom	Winnipeg		80
Westside Community Church	Morden	247	408
Westwood Community Church	Winnipeg	182	193
Winkler Mennonite Brethren Church	Winkler	601	709
Winnipeg Chinese Mennonite Brethren Church	Winnipeg	54	120
Totals		6,433	7,693

Bibliography

Manitoba MB Conference yearbooks.

Winkler MB Church minutes.

Additional Information

Address: 83 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg, MB  R2L 1L2

Phone: 204-594-3050

Website: Manitoba Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

Author(s)	H. H. Redekop
	William I. Neufeld
Date Published	December 2016

Cite This Article

MLA style

Redekop, H. H. and William I. Neufeld. "Manitoba Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2016. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Manitoba_Conference_of_Mennonite_Brethren_Churches&oldid=161350.

APA style

Redekop, H. H. and William I. Neufeld. (December 2016). Manitoba Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Manitoba_Conference_of_Mennonite_Brethren_Churches&oldid=161350.

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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 466; v. 5, p. 537. All rights reserved.

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