Vauxhall Mennonite Church (Vauxhall, Alberta, Canada)
The Vauxhall Mennonite congregation near Vauxhall, Alberta, began services in 1937, and formally organized in 1938. The first building was occupied in 1940, with a subsequent building program in 1983. Wilhelm Martens is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through immigration from the Soviet Union.
In 1950 there were 51 members; in 1965, 53; in 1985, 34; in 1995, 36; in 2000 36. The congregation has been affiliated with Mennonite Church Alberta (1938-2000), Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1940-2000) and the General Conference Mennonite Church (1962-1999). The language of worship is English; the transition from German occurred in the 1960s. The congregation closed in October 2000.
The group was originally called the Vauxhall-Grantham church. It amalgamated with Hays Mennonite Mission about 1962. It also owned and operated a cemetery together with the Mennonite Brethren.
On 18 June 1940 the church building was burned down by arsonists in an outbreak of anti-German feeling which occasionally surfaced against the Mennonites during WWII. The Vauxhall Mennonite Brethren church was destroyed by fire as well. Though the identity of the arsonists was known, the church chose not to take legal action.
The church building was located 6 km north of Vauxhall and 1 km east of Hwy. 36.
Bibliography
Dick, C. L. The Mennonite Conference of Alberta: a History of its Churches and Institutions. Edmonton: The Mennonite Conference of Alberta, 1981, 147 pp.
Harder, Anne. The Vauxhall Mennonite Church. Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta, 2001.
| Author(s) | Melvin Gingerich |
|---|---|
| Marlene Epp | |
| Date Published | February 1989 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Gingerich, Melvin and Marlene Epp. "Vauxhall Mennonite Church (Vauxhall, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 1989. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Vauxhall_Mennonite_Church_(Vauxhall,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=78472.
APA style
Gingerich, Melvin and Marlene Epp. (February 1989). Vauxhall Mennonite Church (Vauxhall, Alberta, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Vauxhall_Mennonite_Church_(Vauxhall,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=78472.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 799. All rights reserved.
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