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1955 Article

Author(s)	G. H. Suckau
	Herbert J. Brandt
	Richard D. Thiessen
Date Published	December 2020

The British Columbia Provincial Mennonite Brethren Conference was organized on 31 October 1931 with three local churches, Agassiz, Sardis, and Yarrow, having an approximate total membership of 170. Attracted by the mild climate and large farm incomes, the Mennonite Brethren membership of this area increased until 1948, after which a recession occurred, due to economic difficulties and floods. In 1949 there were 13 churches in the conference with a total membership of 3,077. The churches were located in the southwest part of British Columbia, with eleven in the Fraser Valley, one in the Okanagan Valley, and one on Vancouver Island, in an area stretching about 200 miles eastward from the Pacific coast along the United States border.

Activities in the conference at that time included Bible conferences, youth conferences, tract mission work, radio broadcasts, a city mission in Vancouver, and widespread daily vacation Bible school work. The institutions of the conference included a girls' home in Vancouver, the West Coast Children's Mission, three Bible schools in Yarrow, South Abbotsford, and East Chilliwack, and a high school in North Abbotsford. The conference was active in the resettling of European refugees and in the support of the relief program of the Mennonite Central Committee. C. C. Peters, secretary of the conference after 1948, contributed much to the establishment of the conference. -- G. H. Suckau

1990 Article

The British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches was organized in 1931. Johannes A. Harder, Peter D. Loewen and Cornelius C. Peters significantly shaped the Conference in its formative years.

From its inception, the conference emphasized evangelism and Christian education. The earliest outreach activities included establishing a city mission in Vancouver, and by 1945, support of the West Coast Children's Mission. Simultaneously, much emphasis was placed on Bible conferences, Sunday School conventions, and music festivals.

During the 1970s and 1980s, priority was given to church planting, including congregations among non-English ethnic groups. The conference also supports Stillwood Camp and Conference Centre, and together with the Mennonite Church British Columbia, co-sponsors Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford.

2016 Update

In 2015 the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches had 106 congregations and 20,106 members. Those congregations had an average weekly attendance of 29,089. In 2010 the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches had 104 congregations and 19,698 members. The following congregations were members of the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in 2015:

Congregation	City	Members	Average Weekly Attendance
Abbotsford Community Church	Abbotsford	70	85
Alderbrook Community Church	Abbotsford	34	150
All Nations Korean Church	Port Coquitlam	50	35
Arabic Evangelical Church Abbotsford	Abbotsford	50	60
Arabic Evangelical Church Surrey	Surrey	35	50
Armstrong Bible Chapel	Armstrong	26	43
Arnold Community Church	Abbotsford	161	220
Artisan Vancouver Church	Vancouver	47	300
Bakerview Hispanic Church	Abbotsford	18	30
Bakerview Mennonite Brethren Church	Abbotsford	695	530
Beacon Communities	Victoria	15	30
Bethel Chinese Christian Mennonite Brethren Church	Vancouver	235	280
Black Creek Mennonite Brethren Church	Black Creek	218	151
Boundary Community Church	Midway	24	38
Broadway Mennonite Brethren Church	Chilliwack	254	270
Burnaby Pacific Grace Church	Burnaby	243	300
Cariboo Bethel Church	Williams Lake	138	192
Cedar Park Mennonite Brethren Church	Delta	180	225
Central Community Church	Chilliwack	392	630
Central Heights Church	Abbotsford	805	698
Christ City Church	Vancouver	0	220
Clearbrook Mennonite Brethren Church	Abbotsford	287	383
Coast Hills Community Church	Surrey	62	160
Cornerstone Mennonite Brethren Church	Prince Rupert	21	43
Crossridge Church	Surrey	110	270
Culloden Mennonite Brethren Church	Vancouver	166	108
Deaf Community Christian Church	Burnaby	20	20
Discovery Church of Ridge Meadows	Maple Ridge	52	65
Discovery Community Church	Campbell River	47	73
Eagle Ridge Bible Fellowship	Coquitlam	144	212
Epic City Church	Kelowna	50	55
Esperanza Multicultural Church	Richmond	30	50
Faithwerks	Vancouver	36	34
Fraserview Mennonite Brethren Church	Richmond	196	230
Gateway Community Church	Port Alberni	16	40
Gospel Chapel	Grand Forks	135	226
Grace Ethiopian Evangelical Church	Burnaby	85	85
Grace Mennonite Brethren Church	Penticton	64	54
Gracepoint Community Church	Surrey	445	438
Greendale Mennonite Brethren Church	Chilliwack	251	254
Harrison Gospel Chapel	Harrison Hot Springs	36	77
Heritage Mountain Community Church	Port Moody	44	70
Highland Community Church	Abbotsford	138	114
Hindi Punjabi Fraserview Gospel Chapel	Surrey	70	70
House for All Nations	Coquitlam	0	185
Hyde Creek Community Church	Port Coquitlam	64	59
Imago Dei Christian Community Church	Vancouver	N/A	225
Jericho Ridge Community Church	Langley	101	165
Kelowna Gospel Fellowship	Kelowna	359	639
Killarney Park Mennonite Brethren Church	Vancouver	97	99
King Road Mennonite Brethren Church	Abbotsford	590	226
Lao Christian Mennonite Brethren Church	Surrey	20	50
Main Street Church	Chilliwack	325	823
Maple Ridge Community Church	Maple Ridge	128	229
Meta Communities	Vancouver	N/A	35
Metro Community Church	Kelowna	125	250
Ministerio Cristiano Broadway	Chilliwack	25	30
Mountain Park Community Church	Abbotsford	180	275
Nechako Community Church	Vanderhoof	86	130
Neighbourhood Church of Nanaimo	Nanaimo	110	148
New Hope Christian Church	Delta	161	84
North Fraser Community Church	Lake Errock	25	34
North Langley Community Church	Langley	552	1,130
North Peace Mennonite Brethren Church	Fort St John	171	235
North Shore Bethel Christian Mennonite Brethren Church	North Vancouver	32	45
North Shore Pacific Grace Mandarin Church	North Vancouver	77	73
North Shore Pacific Grace Mennonite Brethren Church	North Vancouver	136	137
Northgate Mennonite Brethren Church	Dawson Creek	6	7
Northview Community Church	Abbotsford	1,518	3,340
Pacific Grace Mandarin Church	Burnaby	75	180
Pacific Grace Mennonite Brethren Church	Vancouver	263	340
Pemberton Community Church	Pemberton	55	80
Point Grey Inter-Mennonite Fellowship	Vancouver	54	34
Port Moody Pacific Grace Mennonite Brethren Church	Port Moody	317	419
Real Life Community Church	Surrey	21	100
Reality Vancouver	Vancouver	100	200
Richmond Bethel Church	Richmond	150	85
Richmond Chinese Mennonite Brethren Church	Richmond	423	170
Richmond Pacific Grace Mennonite Brethren Church	Richmond	238	250
River of Life Community Church	Blind Bay	93	140
Ross Road Community Church	Abbotsford	388	410
Saanich Community Church	Victoria	63	67
Sardis Community Church	Chilliwack	174	209
Sayward Christian Fellowship	Sayward	20	30
Silver Valley Community Church	Maple Ridge	42	68
Similkameen Christian Fellowship	Keremeos	42	48
South Abbotsford Church	Abbotsford	743	597
South Langley Mennonite Brethren Church	Langley	229	300
South Vancouver Pacific Grace Mennonite Brethren Church	Vancouver	283	300
SunRidge Community Church	Kelowna	50	130
Surrey Grace Mandarin Church	Surrey	39	36
The Fire	New Hazelton	11	21
The Life Centre	Abbotsford	N/A	180
The Rock Church	Squamish	39	75
Tri-City Christian Church	Port Moody	60	110
Valleyview Bible Church	Kamloops	118	111
Vancouver Chinese Mennonite Brethren	Vancouver	135	190
Vancouver Christian Logos Church	Vancouver	67	110
Vancouver Vietnamese Mennonite Brethren Church	Vancouver	25	35
Westside Church	Vancouver	350	1,100
Westwood Mennonite Brethren Church	Prince George	243	570
Whistler Community Church	Whistler	45	80
Willingdon Church	Burnaby	2,828	4,995
Willow Park Church	Kelowna	1,038	1,040
Yarrow Mennonite Brethren Church	Yarrow	201	95
Totals		20,106	29,089

Bibliography

Minutes of the Annual Meetings (1931-1996). Clearbrook [Abbotsford], B.C.: B.C. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, published annually.

Klassen, Agatha E. Yarrow: A Portrait in Mosaic. Yarrow: A.E. Klassen, 1976.

Penner, Peter. Reaching the Otherwise Unreached. Clearbrook: West Coast Children's Mission 1959.

Toews, John A. History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, ed. A.J. Klassen. Fresno, Calif.: Mennonite Brethren Board of Literature and Publication, 1975, index, esp. 167-71.

Additional Information

Address: 101-32310 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford, BC V2T 1X1

Phone: 604-853-6959

Website: BC Conference of MB Churches

British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Executive

Date of Election	Moderator	Assistant Moderator	Secretary
1931 June 21	Johannes A. Harder		Jacob B. Harder and Peter D. Loewen
1931 October 25	Heinrich G. Dueck		Petrus Martens and Peter D. Loewen
1932 June 19	K. A. Klassen		Cornelius C. Peters and Petrus Martens
1932 November 17	K. A. Klassen		Cornelius C. Peters and Petrus Martens
1933 June 11	K. A. Klassen	Johannes A. Harder	Alexander Baumann and Peter D. Loewen
1933 November 26	K. A. Klassen	Heinrich G. Dueck	Jacob B. Harder and Cornelius C. Peters
1934 May 27	Heinrich G. Dueck
1934 August 12	K. A. Klassen		Johannes A. Harder and Cornelius C. Peters
1934 November 25	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	Peter D. Loewen and Jacob B. Harder
1935 November 10	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	Peter D. Loewen and Jacob B. Harder
1936 November 8	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	Peter D. Loewen and Jacob B. Harder
1937 November 21	Johannes A. Harder	Heinrich G. Dueck	Cornelius C. Peters and Peter D. Loewen
1938 November 27	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	Cornelius C. Peters and Peter D. Loewen
1939 November 11	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	Cornelius C. Peters
1940 November 10	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	Cornelius C. Peters
1941 November 2	Johannes A. Harder	Heinrich G. Dueck	Cornelius C. Peters and Peter D. Loewen
1942 November 15	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	Cornelius C. Peters
1943 November 21	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	Cornelius C. Peters
1944 November 25	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	Cornelius C. Peters
1945 November 3	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	Cornelius C. Peters
1946 November 16	Jacob F. Redekop	Johann P. Braun	Cornelius C. Peters
1947 November 8	Jacob F. Redekop	Heinrich G. Dueck	Cornelius C. Peters
1948 August 14	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	David A. Friesen
1949 June 11	Jacob F. Redekop	Aron A. Toews	David A. Friesen
1950 October 28	Jacob F. Redekop	Heinrich G. Dueck	David A. Friesen
1951 June 9	Heinrich G. Dueck	Jacob F. Redekop	David A. Friesen
1952 June 7	Heinrich G. Dueck	Johannes A. Harder	David A. Friesen
1953 June 6	Johannes A. Harder	Jacob F. Redekop	David A. Friesen
1954 June 12	Heinrich G. Dueck	Herman Lenzmann	David A. Friesen
1955 June 18	Herman Lenzmann	Gerhard Thielmann	David A. Friesen
1956 June 9	Herman Lenzmann	Gerhard Thielmann	David A. Friesen
1957 June 9	Peter R. Toews	Gerhard Thielmann	David A. Friesen
1958 June 7	Peter R. Toews	Herman Lenzmann	David A. Friesen
1959 June 6	Herman Voth	Peter R. Toews	Johannes A. Harder
1960 June 10	Herman Voth	Peter R. Toews	Abram Goerz
1961 June 9	Peter R. Toews	Isaac H. Tiessen	George Konrad
1962 June 8	Peter R. Toews	Herman Voth	David A. Friesen
1963 June 7	Henry Brucks	Herbert J. Brandt	Henry J. Unger
1964 June 5	Henry Brucks	Nick Willems	Henry J. Unger
1965 June 11	Herbert J. Brandt	Nick Willems	Henry J. Unger
1966 June 10	Herbert J. Brandt	David H. Neumann	Henry J. Unger
1967 June 2	Jacob H. Quiring	David H. Neumann	Hugo W. Jantz
1968 June 7	Jacob H. Quiring	Peter R. Toews	John H. Neumann
1969 June 6	Herman Lenzmann	Jacob H. Quiring	John H. Neumann
1970 June 5	Jacob H. Quiring	Herbert J. Brandt	John H. Neumann
1971 June 11	Jacob H. Quiring	Rudie Willms	Harry E. Pankratz
1972 June 9	Herbert J. Brandt	Rudie Willms	Harry E. Pankratz
1973 June 16	Loyal A. Funk	Rudie Willms	Leonard Doerksen
1974 June 14	Loyal A. Funk	Harold Ratzlaff	Frank Peters
1975 June 13	Loyal A. Funk	Harry Heidebrecht	Frank Peters
1976 June 11	Loyal A. Funk	Harry Heidebrecht	Frank Peters
1977 June 10	Loyal A. Funk	Harry Heidebrecht	Henry J. Unger
1978 June 9	Harry Heidebrecht	Herbert D. Neufeld	Henry J. Unger
1979 June 8	Harry Heidebrecht	Herbert D. Neufeld	Henry J. Unger
1980 June 13	Harry Heidebrecht	Herbert D. Neufeld	Henry J. Unger
1981 June 12	Herbert D. Neufeld	John Schmidt	Robert J. Friesen
1982 June 12	Herbert D. Neufeld	John Schmidt	Robert J. Friesen
1983 June 10	Harry Heidebrecht	Rudy Boschman	Robert J. Friesen
1984 June 9	Harry Heidebrecht	Robert J. Friesen	Peter Enns
1985 June 14	Harry Heidebrecht	Robert J. Friesen	Peter Enns
1986 June 13	Harry Heidebrecht	Robert J. Friesen	Peter Enns
1987 June 12	Robert J. Friesen	Bill A. Wiebe	Peter Enns
1988 June 10	Robert J. Friesen	Bill A. Wiebe	Peter Enns
1989 June 9	Robert J. Friesen	Peter Nikkel	John Lenzmann
1990 June 8	Robert J. Friesen	Peter Nikkel	John Lenzmann
1991 June 14	Herbert D. Neufeld	Reuben Pauls	John Lenzmann
1992 June 12	Herbert D. Neufeld	Reuben Pauls	John Lenzmann
1993 June 11	Herbert D. Neufeld	Reuben Pauls	Mark Burch
1994 June 10	Herbert D. Neufeld	Reuben Pauls	Mark Burch
1995 April 21	Robert J. Friesen		Mark Burch
1996 May 3	Robert J. Friesen	Mark Burch	John Lenzmann
1997 May 2	Robert J. Friesen	Peter Nikkel	Peter Enns
1998 May 1	Robert J. Friesen		Peter Enns
1999 April 30	Robert J. Friesen	Herbert D. Neufeld	Peter Enns
2000	Arnie Peters	Herbert D. Neufeld	Peter Enns
2001 May 4	Arnie Peters	Reuben Pauls	Reg Toews
2002 May 3	Christopher Douglas	Reuben Pauls	Reg Toews
2003 May 2	Christopher Douglas	Ron van Akker	Reg Toews
2004	Ron van Akker	Arnie Peters	Reg Toews
2005 April 29	Ron van Akker	Arnie Peters	Ron Redekop
2006 April 29	Ron van Akker	Larry Schram	Ron Redekop
2007 May 5	Reg Toews	Tim Williams	Ron Redekop
2008 May 3	Reg Toews	Tim Williams	Ron Redekop
2009 May 2	Reg Toews	Ron van Akker	John H. Redekop
2010 May 1	Rob Thiessen	Ron van Akker	John H. Redekop
2011 April 30	Rob Thiessen	Ron van Akker	Lorraine Dick
2012 May 5	Ron van Akker	Steve Wiens	Reuben Pauls
2013 May 4	Ron van Akker	Steve Wiens	Reuben Pauls
2014 May 3	Michael Dick	Lee Francois	Reuben Pauls
2015 May 2	Michael Dick	Lee Francois	Reuben Pauls
2016 April 30	Don Petker	Matt Ewert	Sharon Simpson
2017
2018 April 28	Matt Ewert
2019 April 27	Sharon Simpson	Laurence Matzek	Sandy Reutlinger
2020 May 2	Sharon Simpson	Laurence Matzek	Sandy Reutlinger

Cite This Article

MLA style

Suckau, G. H., Herbert J. Brandt and Richard D. Thiessen. "British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. December 2020. Web. 24 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=British_Columbia_Conference_of_Mennonite_Brethren_Churches&oldid=169532.

APA style

Suckau, G. H., Herbert J. Brandt and Richard D. Thiessen. (December 2020). British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=British_Columbia_Conference_of_Mennonite_Brethren_Churches&oldid=169532.

British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches

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