North Kildonan Mennonite Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)
The North Kildonan Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba traces its beginnings to the Mennonite immigrants from the Soviet Union that came to settle in what was then a rural area on the northern edge of the city of Winnipeg in 1928. They settled on small farm properties to meet the immigration requirements of the time. They were also close enough to an urban settlement where earnings could be supplemented through employment in service industries, in domestic positions, and in construction projects.
The Mennonites in North Kildonan initially met in homes to worship. The Mennonite Brethren in North Kildonan built their first worship building 1929. They were assisted materially and spiritually by adherents of the Schoenwieser Mennonite Church group who also worshipped with them. In 1935, the families which were affiliated with the Schoenwieser Mennonite Church group organized their own group and built a meetinghouse at 256 Devon Avenue. This marked the beginning of the North Kildonan Mennonite Church as an affiliate of the Schoenwieser Mennonite Church group.
Their building on Devon Avenue was expanded in 1938 and in 1943. In 1951 a basement structure for a new worship site was completed at 1131 Roch Street. When a significant influx of new Mennonite settlers arrived, the upper level was completed in 1956. Further expansions took place in 1964 and again in 1980.
The North Kildonan Mennonite Church became independent of the Schoenwieser group in 1957. Until then, they called regularly on the services of Aeltester J. H. Enns, for baptisms and communion services. Daniel Loewen worked closely with Enns, as Assistant Aeltester. A close relationship with First Mennonite Church, where J. H. Enns was based, was maintained for many years after they became independent.
The North Kildonan Mennonite Church continued to grow rapidly during the late 1950s and early 1960s with more immigrants from Europe and South America, so that another congregation, Springfield Heights Mennonite Church, was founded in 1964.
The language of worship was only German at the beginning. This language was fostered and greatly encouraged among the children. In 1938 Anna Vogt began the first German Kindergarten in North Kildonan. Both English and German were used as the languages of worship for many years, with English becoming more and more prominent in the 1970s.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (20 May 1960): 23.
50th Anniversary: North Kildonan Mennonite Church 1935-1985. Winnipeg, MB, 1987.
Mennonite Reporter (15 September 1986): 14.
Fast, Karl, ed. Fiftieth Anniversary of the Mennonite Settlement in North Kildonan. Winnipeg, 1978.
Fast, Karl. Fuenfundzwanzig Jahre der mennonitischen Ansiedlung zu Nord Kildonan, 1928-1953. 1953.
"Get To Know Us: History." North Kildonan Mennonite Church website. Web. 2 August 2018. http://www.northkildonanmc.com/about/.
North Kildonan Mennonitengemeinde, 1935-1975. Winnipeg: North Kildonan Mennonitengemeinde, 1975.
Archival Records
Church records at Mennonite Heritage Centre
Additional Information
Address: 1131 Roch Street, Winnipeg MB R2G 1S1
Phone: 204-663-5059
Denominational Affiliations:
Schoenwieser Mennonite Church group (1935-1956)
Mennonite Church Manitoba (1958-present)
Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1958-present)
General Conference Mennonite Church (1959-1999).
North Kildonan Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1957 | 335 |
| 1965 | 348 |
| 1970 | 415 |
| 1975 | 458 |
| 1985 | 512 |
| 1995 | 478 |
| 2000 | 431 |
| 2010 | 401 |
| 2015 | 360 |
North Kildonan Mennonite Church Ministers
| Minister | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Daniel Loewen | 1934-1935 1942-1951 |
| Victor Schröder | 1941-1964 |
| Heinrich Janzen | 1936-1938 |
| Peter H. Dirks | 1939-1941 |
| Isaak P. Klassen | 1940-1956 |
| Jacob A. Friesen | 1950-1965 |
| Jakob Wiebe | 1957-1995 |
| Peter Sawatzky | 1957-1964 |
| Abe Rempel | 1967-1978 |
| David Epp | 1971-1991 |
| Henry Harder | 1979-1981 |
| Edward Enns | 1985-1990 |
| Albert Durksen | 1990-2011 |
| Harold Peters-Fransen (interim) | 2011-2013 |
| Gary Martens | 2013-2016 |
| Franz Wiebe (interim) | 2016-2017 |
| Marvin Thiessen | 2017-present |
| Author(s) | John H. Enns |
|---|---|
| Marlene Epp | |
| Date Published | November 2015 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Enns, John H. and Marlene Epp. "North Kildonan Mennonite Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2015. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Kildonan_Mennonite_Church_(Winnipeg,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=161314.
APA style
Enns, John H. and Marlene Epp. (November 2015). North Kildonan Mennonite Church (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=North_Kildonan_Mennonite_Church_(Winnipeg,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=161314.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 921. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.