Ranch Mennonite Brethren Church (Wembley, Alberta, Canada)
In the spring of 1926 a group of over a dozen Mennonite families, including over 30 children and youth, settled in the Peace River area of Alberta through the assistance of the Canadian Mennonite Board of Colonization. The Board assisted the families in the purchase the Adair Ranch. In the early years there was much cooperation between Mennonite Brethren and General Conference Mennonite families and joint services were often held at the Adair Ranch. Eventually the Mennonite Brethren and General Conference Mennonite families divided their assets and built their own churches. The Mennonite Brethren formed the La Glace Mennonite Brethren Church in 1929. However, when weather conditions prevented the Mennonite Brethren families from attending church in La Glace, they worshiped either in the local General Conference church, Hoffnungsfeld Mennonite Church, or in homes. This situation prevailed throughout the 1930s. This group included approximately one dozen families.
In 1941, members of the La Glace MB Church were permitted to dismantle the church building formerly used by the defunct Clairmont Krimmer Mennonite Brethren Church and relocate it to the property of Henry Goertz in Wembley. The opening service was held in the fall of 1941. Services were usually conducted in the German language, although English services were also held and Sunday school classes were taught in the English language.
After just a few years, the church disbanded. Some families had moved to British Columbia, depleting membership, and the purchase of cars and improvement of roads allowed members to attend services in La Glace. By 1946 the building was transported to the campus of Peace River Bible Institute, where it served as a residence until it was dismantled in 1976.
Bibliography
"The Mennonite Brethren Church at the Ranch." In The Mennonite Sojourn in the Peace River Area: A Companion to Our Reunion, June 15, 16, 17, 2001, David Friesen, gen. ed. 2001: 38-41.
| Author(s) | Richard D Thiessen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2013 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Thiessen, Richard D. "Ranch Mennonite Brethren Church (Wembley, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2013. Web. 23 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ranch_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Wembley,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=67470.
APA style
Thiessen, Richard D. (June 2013). Ranch Mennonite Brethren Church (Wembley, Alberta, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Ranch_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Wembley,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=67470.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.