Laird Mennonite Church (Laird, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Laird was a district of the large Rosenort Mennonite Church (Rosenorter Gemeinde) of Saskatchewan, centering in the town of Laird (1950s population - 400; 2001 population - 236). It is located about 50 miles (80 km) north of the city of Saskatoon. The Rosenorter Gemeinde was established in 1894 by the Elder Peter Regier, who had emigrated from Prussia in 1893. In 1909 there were enough families in the wider area to form districts with a minister in charge of each. Eventually, the Rosenort Mennonite Church contained 11 church districts and had over 1,400 baptized members in the mid-1950s.
Laird was one of the first organized districts of this church. It had a church building since 1910. Additions to the church building were made in 1926 and 1959, and a new church was built in 1985.
In 1955 the Rosenorter Gemeinde split into two Gemeinden; namely, the Rosenorter and Vereinigten Mennoniten Gemeinden. Laird then belonged to the latter. The congregation became independent in 1962 when both Gemeinden dissolved.
Among the ministers during the first 60 years were Heinrich Warkentin, Jacob Janzen, Cornelius K. Ens, David Epp, Cornelius F. Sawatzky and Arthur Friesen. In the mid-1950s there were four ministers and one deacon serving the Laird district, which had over 100 members. The elder (in 1954) was J. G. Rempel, who lived in the main district of the congregation, Rosthern. The town also had a Mennonite Brethren church.
The language of worship is English; the transition from German occurred in the 1940s.
The congregation celebrated its centennial on 28-29 August 2010.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (10 July 1970): 3; (20 September 2010): 23.
Mennonite Reporter (1 September 1986): 13.
Rempel, J. G. Die Rosenorter Gemeinde in Saskatchewan. 1950, 183 pp.
Archival Records
Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives, Winnipeg, MB: Vols. 66, 1089, 4175, 4262.
Additional Information
Location: 220 1st Street N., Laird, SK
Mailing address: Box 178, Laird, SK S0K 2H0
Phone: 306-223-4230
Website: https://lairdmennonite.webs.com/
Denominational Affiliations:
Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada
General Conference Mennonite Church (until 1999)
Laird Mennonite Church Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| David Epp | 1911-1942 |
| Cornelius Sawatzky | 1928-1966 |
| Isaac I. Penner | 1941-1955 |
| Arthur Pauls | 1940-1969 1971-1985 |
| Arthur Friesen | 1944-1960 |
| Peter Funk | 1963-1966 |
| George Dueck | 1971-1977 |
| Gary Giesbrecht | 1978-1980 |
| Leonard Enns | 1982 |
| Irvin Schmidt | 1982-1989 |
| Barb and Wilmer Froese | 1991-2005 |
| Benno Klassen (interim) | 2005 |
| Bruce Jantzen | 2007-present |
Laird Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 102 |
| 1975 | 70 |
| 1985 | 82 |
| 1990 | 58 |
| 1995 | 77 |
| 2000 | 109 |
| 2011 | 116 |
| 2020 | 104 |
| Author(s) | John G. Rempel |
|---|---|
| Marlene Epp | |
| Date Published | July 2021 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Rempel, John G. and Marlene Epp. "Laird Mennonite Church (Laird, Saskatchewan, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2021. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Laird_Mennonite_Church_(Laird,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=171936.
APA style
Rempel, John G. and Marlene Epp. (July 2021). Laird Mennonite Church (Laird, Saskatchewan, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Laird_Mennonite_Church_(Laird,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=171936.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 268. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.