Carman Christian Fellowship (Carman, Manitoba, Canada)
Carman Mennonite Church Source: Carman/Dufferin Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee website
Carman Mennonite Church began services and organized in 1945. Mennonite families settled in the Carman, Manitoba area after the immigration movement in the 1920s and during the 1930s attempts were made by the Mennonite families to worship together. A group was officially organized as a Bergthaler group in 1945 and in 1954, it became a congregation. During these years, a meeting house was completed and leadership was provided by the Bergthaler Lehrdienst and the Home Mission Board of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada. Until 1953 Carman was still considered a mission station of the Canadian conference. When it became a congregation, it was known as the Graysville-Carman congregation. The leaders of the Graysville part of the group were Franz Letkemann and J. Janzen. In 1962 it became known as the Carman Bergthaler Mennonite Church. A larger meeting house was completed in 1982.
In 2023 the congregation voted to withdraw from Mennonite Church Manitoba and Mennonite Church Canada effective 1 September 2023. In November 2025 it was announced that the congregation had officially approved a name change to Carman Christian Fellowship, reflecting the church's independence and desire to welcome people from all backgrounds.
Bibliography
Braun, Braun. "The Carman Mennonite Church, 1945-1985." Unpublished Research Paper, CMBC, 1985, 29 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Klassen-Wiebe, Nicolien. "MC Manitoba re-imagines church together at annual gathering." Canadian Mennonite 27, no. 6 (24 March 2023): 24.
______. "Two congregations withdraw from MC Manitoba." Canadian Mennonite 27, no. 9 (5 May 2023): 22-23.
Meier, Annaliese. "Carman Mennonite Church adopts new name as congregation enters new chapter." MBNews101. 20 November 2025. https://mbnews101.ca/carman-dufferin-standard/carman-mennonite-church-adopts-new-name-as-congregation-enters-new-chapter/. 9 January 2026.
Additional Information
Location:: 105 Main Street, Carman, Manitoba (Co-ordinates 49.512222 -98.001111)
Address: Box 267, Carman, MB R0G 0J0
Phone: 204-745-3837
Website: Carman Mennonite Church
Denominational Affiliations:
Mennonite Church Manitoba (1954-2023)
Mennonite Church Canada (1954-2023)
Carman Mennonite Church Pastors
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Henry Funk | 1949-1954 |
| Frank Thiessen | 1956-1958 |
| Daniel Doell | 1960-1963 |
| Alfred Heinrichs | 1963-1964 |
| Henry Isaak | 1965-1971 |
| David Klassen | 1972-1973 |
| David Friesen | 1974-1978 |
| David Klassen | 1979 |
| Ed Pries | 1980-1981 |
| David Klassen | 1982 |
| John Krahn | 1983-1991 |
| Cornie Thiessen | 1992 |
| Marvin Friesen | 1993-1996 |
| Dave Wilson | 1997-2000 |
| Bob Pauls | 2000-2017 |
| Karen Schellenberg (associate 2012-17) | 2017-2018 |
| Rachel Siemens | 2018-2021 |
| Rudy Franz (Intentional Interim) | 2021-2022 |
| Desmond R. Penner | 2025-present |
Carman Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 30 |
| 1975 | 88 |
| 1985 | 162 |
| 1995 | 206 |
| 2000 | 127 |
| 2009 | 155 |
| 2020 | 157 |
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | January 2026 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene. "Carman Christian Fellowship (Carman, Manitoba, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 2026. Web. 19 Jan 2026. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Carman_Christian_Fellowship_(Carman,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=181450.
APA style
Epp, Marlene. (January 2026). Carman Christian Fellowship (Carman, Manitoba, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 January 2026, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Carman_Christian_Fellowship_(Carman,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=181450.
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