GAMEO:About
Introduction
The Global Mennonite Encyclopedia Online began in 1996 as a project of the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada (under the name Canadian Mennonite Encyclopedia Online). It was intended to be a dynamic source of information about the Anabaptist-Mennonite groups in Canada. It emerged from a congregational database created by Marlene Epp for the three-volume Mennonites in Canada history series. Later the Society obtained permission from Herald Press then located in Scottdale, Pennsylvania to copy and modify entries of the four-volume Mennonite Encyclopedia published in the 1950s, and a supplemental fifth volume published in 1990. In 2005 two partners -- the Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission and the Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee -- joined the project, and expanded it to become a English-language Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO). Mennonite Central Committee joined the partnership in early 2006, Mennonite World Conference in January 2007 and the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism in October 2011.
The project includes the full text of the print Mennonite Encyclopedia, edited for tense and time context, and continues to add new content both from North America and around the world. In December 2013 there were over 15,350 articles in GAMEO. Content in non-English languages is planned for a future multi-lingual site; a minimal amount of non-English content is currently available within the encyclopedia.
Articles in GAMEO are assigned and editorially reviewed before upload; GAMEO is not a "Wiki"-style project. Encyclopedia subjects include, but are not limited to, history, statistics, biography, education, the arts and family history. The Encyclopedia Search provides for a word or phrase search on the Encyclopedia's content, or browsing an alphabetical index.
If you have corrections or suggestions for an encyclopedia article, please contact the Managing Editor. Be specific in your comments and give the exact name/address of the article (this can be copied from the bottom of each article).
Our Mission
The 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.
Donations
If you would like to make a donation to the ongoing development and expansion of GAMEO we'd be glad for your help! Donations should sent to Mennonite World Conference and designated for GAMEO.
Corrections and Suggestions
If you have specific corrections to articles or suggestions that should be added to the encyclopedia send them to the GAMEO's email address at 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.
Other Mennonite Encyclopedias
GAMEO works together with the editors of other Mennonite encyclopedias to make their content available in the English language. These encyclopedias include:
Volunteers
GAMEO has appreciated the volunteers who have assisted in bringing the print Mennonite Encyclopedia to the web. It would not have been possible without the assistance of Richard Thiessen, David Giesbrecht, Victor Wiebe, J. J. Neufeld, Larry Kehler, Ammar Naseer, Adolf Ens, Abe Dueck, Susan Huebert, Ernie Braun, Alf Redekopp, Bert Friesen, Kevin Enns-Rempel, Peggy Goertzen, John D. Thiesen, Andrew Klager, Sam Steiner, and anonymous Columbia Bible College students.
Authors
This list includes all authors who have written an article included in GAMEO, including those from the Mennonite Encyclopedia published by Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania. Some were authors in the German-language Mennonitisches Lexikon whose articles were translated into English for the print Encyclopedia. In July 2010 the list included over 1,750 names.
Consulting Editors
GAMEO consults with a wide variety of scholars who serve as advisors to the Managing Editor(s) on subject articles in the areas of theology, history, sociology, the arts, and other areas that may develop. Consulting Editors are either academics in post-secondary institutions or persons with highly developed knowledge in a specialized subject area.
The Encyclopedia is in the process of inviting persons to serve in this capacity. The persons listed below are those who have consented to serve as of September 2013:
| Name | Country |
|---|---|
| Ervin Beck | United States |
| Johannes Dyck | Germany |
| Marlene Epp | Canada |
| Kerry Fast | Canada |
| Hans-Jürgen Goertz | Germany |
| Alle G. Hoekema | Netherlands |
| Hanspeter Jecker | Switzerland |
| Karl Koop | Canada |
| Don Kraybill | United States |
| Juan Martinez | United States |
| Barbara Nkala | Zimbabwe |
| Gerhard Ratzlaff | Paraguay |
| Jaime Adrián Prieto Valladares | Costa Rica |
| John D. Roth | United States |
| Rebecca Slough | United States |
| Hildi Froese Tiessen | Canada |
| Pakisa Tshimika | United States |
| James Urry | New Zealand |
Management and Editorial Committees
You can contact any member of GAMEO's Canadian or U.S. editorial committee members listed below. The Management Board for the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online is: Bert Friesen (Chair) (Winnipeg, MB), Jon Isaak (Winnipeg, MB), Colleen McFarland (Goshen, IN), Kenneth L. Sensenig (Lancaster, PA), John D. Roth (Goshen, IN), Sam Steiner (Associate Managing Editor, Waterloo, ON) and Richard D. Thiessen (Managing Editor, Abbotsford, BC).
A Canadian Editorial Committee is composed of Bert Friesen (Chair) (Winnipeg, MB), Wesley Berg (Edmonton, AB), Linda Huebert Hecht (Waterloo, ON), Richard Lougheed (Montreal, QC), Alf Redekopp (St. Catharines, ON), Sam Steiner (Waterloo, ON), and Richard D. Thiessen (Columbia Bible College, Abbotsford, BC).
There are also Regional Editorial Committees based in Québéc, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and in Lancaster and Harleysville, Pennsylvania, and California, USA. Additional regional committees are envisioned for the United States.
GAMEO Partners
Our partner organizations relate both to national Mennonite denominations, and to regional and local Amish and Mennonite historical groups. Follow the links to the websites of each partner to learn more about their programs and lines of accountability.