Hillside Christian Fellowship (Beechy, Saskatchewan, Canada)
The first Mennonites in Beechy, Saskatchewan were 1920s immigrants from Russia. When they first arrived in Canada, they settled in the Main Centre, Saskatchewan area, but eventually moved north of the Saskatchewan River in search of land. In 1925 five families established homes in Beechy, and on 19 July 1925 a Mennonite Brethren congregation was organized. The group affiliated with Main Center Mennonite Brethren Church until 1927 when it became independent and known as the Friedensheim Mennonite Brethren Church. Early on, the congregation met in Homaker’s Hall, which formerly served as a schoolhouse. On most Sundays, however, the congregation divided into small groups and met in homes.
The membership rose to 75, but in the 1930s it decreased. The Depression stalled plans for a new church building. But in 1942, the Beechy congregation purchased a town hall, formerly used by the Mennonite Brethren congregation in Gilroy. The building was dismantled, transported to a section of land just outside of Beechy, and then used to construct a new church building. In 1944 the new church was completed four miles southeast of Beechy. The building was moved to town in 1953, when the church became known as Beechy Mennonite Brethren Church. Renovations to the building occurred in 1969 and again in 1975–1976. In 1982, a new 10,000 sq. ft. building was constructed largely with volunteer labor. Again, with the new building came a new name, Hillside Christian Fellowship Centre.
Until 1963, lay-ministers and leaders led the congregation. John Wiens was the organizer and the leader of the group for 18 years, until he moved to Herbert, Saskatchewan. His successor was Jacob Wiens. Other preachers were John D. Hiebert and Jacob Schellenberg. The deacons were Abr. H. Dück and Friedrich Mielke. Henry Berg was Beechy’s first hired minister, serving from 1963 to 1966. After Berg, the congregation was served by a variety of other paid ministers, many of whom also served the Mennonite Brethren church at Lucky Lake.
Bibliography
"Brief History of Beechy Mennonite Brethren Church, Beechy, Sask." 1977, 12 pp. Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies.
Mennonite Brethren Herald (10 September 1982): 12; (27 May 1988): 63.
Archival Records
Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Winnipeg, MB: Volume 602.
Additional Information
Address: Box 176, Beechy, SK S0L 0C0
Location: 115 4th Avenue North, Beechy, SK
Telephone: 306-859-2124
Denominational Affiliations:
Saskatchewan Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1927-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1927-present)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1927-2002)
Hillside Christian Fellowship Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Henry Berg | 1963-1966 |
| Ed Lautermilch | 1966-1969 |
| Ed Epp | 1969-1973 |
| Ed Giesbrecht | 1973–1976 |
| Helmut Schroeder | 1977–1987 |
| Mike Housek | 1987-2014 |
| Phil Cann (interim) | 2015-2017 |
| Daniel Stobbe | 2017-present |
Hillside Christian Fellowship Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 21 |
| 1965 | 34 |
| 1975 | 46 |
| 1985 | 47 |
| 1993 | 42 |
| 2000 | 67 |
| 2010 | 74 |
Maps
Map:Hillside Christian Fellowship (Beechy, Saskatchewan)
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Richard D. Thiessen | |
| Date Published | July 2011 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene and Richard D. Thiessen. "Hillside Christian Fellowship (Beechy, Saskatchewan, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. July 2011. Web. 27 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hillside_Christian_Fellowship_(Beechy,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=173764.
APA style
Epp, Marlene and Richard D. Thiessen. (July 2011). Hillside Christian Fellowship (Beechy, Saskatchewan, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 27 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Hillside_Christian_Fellowship_(Beechy,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=173764.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 400. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.