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Featured Article: "Brandt, Herbert J. (1924-2025)"Herbert "Herb" Jacob Brandt: minister and conference leader; born 15 October 1924 in Greenfarm, Saskatchewan, the fourth of twelve children of Johann K. Brandt and Anna (Thiessen) Brandt. Herb married Anne Kroeker (6 September 1929, Coaldale, Alberta, Canada – 8 March 2019, Delta, British Columbia, Canada) on 1 September 1951 in Vancouver, British Columbia. They had four children: Roger, Janet, Frances, and David. Herb died on 13 February 2025 in Abbotsford, British Columbia at the age of 100. When Herb was young, drought and the Great Depression forced his family to move from Greenfarm, near Herbert, to Willow Lake and then to Dalmeny, Saskatchewan, before moving once again in 1938 to Reinland, Manitoba, where both sets of grandparents had first settled in 1903 after immigrating to Canada from Ukraine. Sunday school had a strong influence on Herb during his childhood, but despite the pressures he felt he was not ready to make a commitment to Christ until 1941 at the age of 16. His father was his teacher for his first years of schooling. He attended Mennonite Collegiate Institute for high school, graduating in 1943. He then served as a conscientious objector during World War II at the Brandon Mental Hospital for three years and as a teacher at West Favelle School, a one-room schoolhouse, for one-half year. Both experiences had a major influence on his life. After alternative service he was baptized on 24 August 1947. He attended Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta and graduated in 1950. After Brandt’s marriage to Anne Kroeker in 1951, they lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he received teacher training at the Provincial Normal School and graduated in 1952. He later attended the University of British Columbia and graduated in 1962 with a B.A. in history and a minor in geography. He taught school and became a vice principal in Vancouver for ten years. Herb and Anne were also involved in ministry to the disadvantaged in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, where they taught Sunday school and Daily Vacation Bible School at the Pacific Grace Mission, and served meals and gave devotionals at the Union Gospel Mission. In 1961 Brandt was asked to be the pastor of the newly formed Killarney Park Mennonite Brethren Church. In 1966, after providing a home for numerous foster children, he and Anne chose to adopt their fourth child, David, who was an infant at the time. David's arrival brought much joy to the family. Herb's last formal schooling was at Northwest Baptist Theological Seminary, where he graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Divinity. Herb pastored the Killarney Park Mennonite Brethren Church (1961-1970), the Richmond Bethel Mennonite Brethren Church (1970-1983), the Kelowna (or Willow Park) Mennonite Brethren Church (1984-1989), and the Fraserview Mennonite Brethren Church (1990-1991). He and Anne ministered together for over 35 years. Brandt held several Mennonite Brethren Conference leadership positions from 1963 to 1990. Others recognized his gifts and encouraged him to take positions that he was reluctant to take. Brandt served as assistant moderator (1963-1964, 1970-1971) and moderator (1965-1967, 1972-1973) of the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, assistant moderator (1976-1977) and moderator (1973-1975) of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, and assistant moderator (1981-1984) and moderator (1984-1990) of the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. |
Our MissionThe Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online provides reliable, freely-available English-language information on Anabaptist-related congregations, denominations, conferences, institutions and significant individuals, as well as historical and theological topics. Secular subject articles from an Anabaptist perspective and full-text source documents are also included. See our About page to learn more about GAMEO's history, management and vision. Corrections and SuggestionsArticle corrections or suggestions for new content should be emailed to admin@gameo.org. As a volunteer organization we are unable to respond to questions on Mennonite history or genealogical questions of any kind. For questions of that type, please contact a local genealogical society, or check with a Mennonite historical library or archives.
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GAMEO falls under the umbrella of the Mennonite World Conference Faith and Life Commission. Members of the Management Board include: Mennonite Historical Society of Canada, Mennonite Church USA Archives, Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission, Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite World Conference, Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism, and the D. F. Plett Historical Research Foundation. |
