Arelee Mennonite Brethren Church (Arelee, Saskatchewan, Canada)
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The Arelee Mennonite Brethren Church, located in the Eagle Creek area, was a member of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. Early pioneers from Kiev, Russia began to settle in the Eagle Creek District from 1897 to 1903. These pioneers had been persecuted for their faith in Russia and had been baptized, sometimes secretly, by Baptists. The Arelee pioneers built two places for worship because traveling long distances with oxen was inconvenient. The first baptismal service was held in 1903. With increased attendance and changing circumstances, the two places were amalgamated. In 1908, two local men, Apalon Melashenko and Luka Krowchenko, were ordained to the ministry by Elder David Dyck.
The first church building was erected on S.E. section 12, Township 38, Range 12, the present site of the cemetery. In 1917 this place of worship became too small and the old place of worship was sold and a new one was erected. In 1946 the building in the town of Arelee was built. The Arelee congregation had a number of ethnic Russians and Ukrainians as members. The builder of the 1946 church building was Ukrainian and could not imagine a church without spires, so he added them.
In 1993 there were 22 members; in 2000, 19. Archie Jantzen served in 2008 as the pastoral leader. The congregation was also affiliated with the Saskatchewan Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The language of worship is English; the transition from Russian began in the late 1960s.
Originally the congregation was known as the Eagle Creek Russian Mennonite Brethren Church, and was once a part of the Russian Mennonite Brethren conference.
The congregation celebrated its 100th anniversary in June 2008, but held the final service of the congregation on June 29 as part of that celebration.
Bibliography
Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies. "Arelee MB Church." http://www.mbconf.ca/home/products_and_services/resources/published_genealogies/mb_provincial_conferences_and_church_congregation_records/saskatchewan_archives/arelee_mennonite_brethren_church_archives/ (accessed 24 March 2009)
Diamond Jubilee of the Mennonite Brethren Church, 1908-1968, Arelee, Saskatchewan. 1968, 26 pp.
Mennonite Brethren Herald (27 May 1988): 66; (November 2008). Available online at http://www.mbconf.ca/home/products_and_services/resources/publications/mb_herald/mb_herald_november_2008/people_and_events/centenary_celebration_bittersweet/ (accessed 24 March 2009)
Mennonite Reporter (9 January 1984): 4.
Penner, Peter. No Longer At Arm's Length: Mennonite Brethren Church Planting in Canada. Winnipeg: Kindred Press, 1987.
Archival Records
Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Winnipeg, MB: Volume 601; Microfilms R14, pp. 977–1561; R15, pp. 1–156.
Additional Information
Arelee Mennonite Brethren Church Leading Ministers
| Minister | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Apalon Melashenko | 1908–1940 |
| Luka Krowchenko | 1908-1945 |
| David B. Wiens (Assistant) | 1943-1955 |
| Sidor Matiko | 1945-1960 |
| Pete Unrau (Assistant) | 1957-1958 |
| David Bergen | 1960-1964 |
| Mark Gripp | 1964-1967 |
| Waldemar Gripp | 1967-1971 |
| John Siemens | 1972-1974 |
| William Danko | 1975-1977 |
| Reuben Andres | 1977-1984 |
| John Willems | 1984-1988 |
| Henry Schmidt | 1989-1991 |
| Garth Fisher | 1992-1993 |
| Archie Jantzen | 1994-2008 |
| Author(s) | Victor Wiebe |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2011 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Wiebe, Victor. "Arelee Mennonite Brethren Church (Arelee, Saskatchewan, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2011. Web. 18 Dec 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Arelee_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Arelee,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=135783.
APA style
Wiebe, Victor. (June 2011). Arelee Mennonite Brethren Church (Arelee, Saskatchewan, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 December 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Arelee_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Arelee,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=135783.
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