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Leamington United Mennonite Church (formerly known as Essex County Vereinigte Mennonitengemeinde or Essex County United Mennonite Church) (Mennonite Church Canada), in Leamington, [[Ontario (Canada)|Ontario]] (population in 1955, 6,951; 30.203 in 2007) is located 35 miles southeast of Windsor. In the mid-1950s the church consisted exclusively of immigrants from the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]], most­ having immigrated to Canada between 1923 and 1930; in fact, all the Mennonites near Leamington were immigrants from the Soviet Union, and be­longed either to the [[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite Church]] or to the [[Mennonite Brethren Church|Mennonite Brethren]]. The first 15 families came from the vicinity of Waterloo as farm hands and share farmers. In the course of time other families came from all parts of Ontario and the western provinces of Canada.
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Leamington United Mennonite Church (formerly known as ''Essex County Vereinigte Mennonitengemeinde'' or Essex County United Mennonite Church) (Mennonite Church Canada), in Leamington, [[Ontario (Canada)|Ontario]] (population in 1955, 6,951; 30.203 in 2007) is located 35 miles southeast of Windsor. In the mid-1950s the church consisted exclusively of immigrants from the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics|Soviet Union]], most­ having immigrated to Canada between 1923 and 1930; in fact, all the Mennonites near Leamington were immigrants from the Soviet Union, and be­longed either to the [[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite Church]] or to the [[Mennonite Brethren Church|Mennonite Brethren]]. The first 15 families came from the vicinity of Waterloo as farm hands and share farmers. In the course of time other families came from all parts of Ontario and the western provinces of Canada.
  
 
The congregation began services in 1925, and formally organized in 1929. The first ministers chosen from the congregation, J. D. Janzen and N. H. Schmidt, were ordained by Elder [[Janzen, Jacob H. (1878-1950)|Jacob H. Janzen]]. Services were held every Sun­day, at first in private homes, and later in rented halls. In the first years church life was very difficult to maintain because of the general poverty and the distances to the center. The congregation was initially scattered into smaller groups at Kingsville, [[Harrow United Mennonite Church (Harrow, Ontario, Canada)|Harrow]], [[Windsor United Mennonite Church (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)|Windsor]], [[Pelee Island United Mennonite Church (Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada)|Pelee Island]], and Leamington.
 
The congregation began services in 1925, and formally organized in 1929. The first ministers chosen from the congregation, J. D. Janzen and N. H. Schmidt, were ordained by Elder [[Janzen, Jacob H. (1878-1950)|Jacob H. Janzen]]. Services were held every Sun­day, at first in private homes, and later in rented halls. In the first years church life was very difficult to maintain because of the general poverty and the distances to the center. The congregation was initially scattered into smaller groups at Kingsville, [[Harrow United Mennonite Church (Harrow, Ontario, Canada)|Harrow]], [[Windsor United Mennonite Church (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)|Windsor]], [[Pelee Island United Mennonite Church (Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada)|Pelee Island]], and Leamington.
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! Minister !! Years  
 
! Minister !! Years  
 
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| Jacob H. Janzen || 1929-1931
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| [[Janzen, Jacob H. (1878-1950)|Jacob H. Janzen]] || align="right" | 1929-1931
 
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|-  
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| Nicolai N. Driedger || 1931-1971
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| [[Driedger, Nicholas N. (1893-1988) and Driedger, Katharina Dick (1897-1973)|Nicolai N. Driedger]] || align="right" | 1931-1971
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Issak Klassen || 1937-1946
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| Issak Klassen || align="right" | 1937-1946
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Abram Rempel || 1931-1970
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| Abram Rempel || align="right" | 1931-1970
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| W. C. Schellenberg || 1929-1941
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| W. C. Schellenberg || align="right" | 1929-1941
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| C. H. Tiessen || 1925-1939
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| C. H. Tiessen || align="right" | 1925-1939
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Jacob Driedger || 1931-1968
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| Jacob Driedger ||align="right" |  1931-1968
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| H. P. Lepp || 1927-1943
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| H. P. Lepp || align="right" | 1927-1943
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Heinrich Winter || 1948-1965
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| [[Winter, Heinrich J. (1896-1981)|Heinrich Winter]] || align="right" | 1948-1965
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Jacob Neufeld || 1951-1973
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| Jacob Neufeld || align="right" | 1951-1973
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Henry Dueck || 1974-1981
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| Henry Dueck || align="right" | 1974-1981
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Cornelius Driedger || 1979-1980
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| Cornelius Driedger || align="right" | 1979-1980
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Henry Winter || 1982-1983
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| Henry Winter || align="right" | 1982-1983
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| [[Epp, Menno H. (1932-2011)|Menno Epp]] || 1984-1998
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| [[Epp, Menno H. (1932-2011)|Menno Epp]] || align="right" | 1984-1998
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Wendy Janzen || 1999
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| Wendy Janzen || align="right" | 1999
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Darrell Fast || 2000-2006
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| Darrell Fast || align="right" | 2000-2006
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Renee Sauder (Interim) || 2007
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| Renee Sauder (Interim) || align="right" | 2007
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Michael Strain (Interim) || 2007
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| Michael Strain (Interim) || align="right" | 2007
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Bernie Wiebe (Interim) || 2008
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| Bernie Wiebe (Interim) || align="right" | 2008
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| David Dyck || 2008-present
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| David Dyck || align="right" | 2008-present
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Vic Winter || 2009-present
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| Vic Winter || align="right" | 2009-August 2018
 
|-  
 
|-  
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| Mike Williamson || 2010-present
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| Mike Williamson || align="right" | 2010-present
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|-
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| Zach Charbonneau || align="right" | September 2018-August 2020
 
|}
 
|}
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== Leamington UMC Membership ==
 
== Leamington UMC Membership ==
  
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|-  
 
|-  
 
| 2015 || align="right" | 725
 
| 2015 || align="right" | 725
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|-
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| 2020 || align="right" | 689
 
|}
 
|}
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= Map =
 
= Map =
 
[[Map:Leamington United Mennonite Church (Leamington, Ontario, Canada)]]
 
[[Map:Leamington United Mennonite Church (Leamington, Ontario, Canada)]]

Revision as of 13:42, 17 June 2021

Leamington United Mennonite Church (formerly known as Essex County Vereinigte Mennonitengemeinde or Essex County United Mennonite Church) (Mennonite Church Canada), in Leamington, Ontario (population in 1955, 6,951; 30.203 in 2007) is located 35 miles southeast of Windsor. In the mid-1950s the church consisted exclusively of immigrants from the Soviet Union, most­ having immigrated to Canada between 1923 and 1930; in fact, all the Mennonites near Leamington were immigrants from the Soviet Union, and be­longed either to the General Conference Mennonite Church or to the Mennonite Brethren. The first 15 families came from the vicinity of Waterloo as farm hands and share farmers. In the course of time other families came from all parts of Ontario and the western provinces of Canada.

The congregation began services in 1925, and formally organized in 1929. The first ministers chosen from the congregation, J. D. Janzen and N. H. Schmidt, were ordained by Elder Jacob H. Janzen. Services were held every Sun­day, at first in private homes, and later in rented halls. In the first years church life was very difficult to maintain because of the general poverty and the distances to the center. The congregation was initially scattered into smaller groups at Kingsville, Harrow, Windsor, Pelee Island, and Leamington.

From 1925 to 1929 all the General Conference Mennonites in Ontario who had come from Russia were united by Elder Jacob H. Janzen into a single organization, called at first the General Refugee Church in Ontario (Allgemeine Flüchtlingsge­meinde in Ontario), but later (15 August 1926) changed to United Mennonite Church in Ontario. Waterloo was the center. Because of steady growth and the great distance between groups of the mem­bers, the body was divided on 20 January 1929 into three independent congregations in Waterloo, Leamington, and Reesor, of which the Essex County United Mennonite Church was one, with its center at Leamington.

In 1929 the church had 303 baptized members. Until 1933, J. H. Janzen, Waterloo, administered baptism and communion, and contributed much to the general courses for ministers. In the autumn of 1932 the congregation chose N. N. Driedger as elder from among the ministers, and ordained him on 20 May 1933. He was still serving in 1955. In 1933 a church was built, and in 1948 an annex was added. In the mid-1950s most of the members were farmers, and a few lived in town. Low German is usually spoken at home.

The congregation was known as Essex County United Mennonite until 1958, when it changed its name to the Leamington United Mennonite Church. It is the parent church to the North Leamington United Mennonite Church (1954), a division which occurred because of growing membership. The two churches were under one organization until 1981 when they became autonomous.

Bibliography

Canadian Mennonite (9 April 1954): 1.

Driedger, N. N. The Leamington United Mennonite Church: Establishment and Development, 1925-1972. Leamington, ON: The Church, 1972, 176 pp.

Memories: Sixty Years of Mennonite Life in Essex and Kent Counties, 1925-1985. Leamington, 1985, 78 pp.

Mennonite Reporter (2 February 1981): 4; (10 December 1984): 11.

Additional Information

Address: 78 Oak St. East, Leamington, ON N8H 2C6

Phone: 519-326-2727

Web site: The Leamington United Mennonite Church

Denominational Affiliations:

Conference of United Mennonite Churches of Ontario (1929-1988)

Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (1988-present)

Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1929-present)

General Conference Mennonite Church (1929-1999)

Leamington UMC Leading Ministers

Minister Years
Jacob H. Janzen 1929-1931
Nicolai N. Driedger 1931-1971
Issak Klassen 1937-1946
Abram Rempel 1931-1970
W. C. Schellenberg 1929-1941
C. H. Tiessen 1925-1939
Jacob Driedger 1931-1968
H. P. Lepp 1927-1943
Heinrich Winter 1948-1965
Jacob Neufeld 1951-1973
Henry Dueck 1974-1981
Cornelius Driedger 1979-1980
Henry Winter 1982-1983
Menno Epp 1984-1998
Wendy Janzen 1999
Darrell Fast 2000-2006
Renee Sauder (Interim) 2007
Michael Strain (Interim) 2007
Bernie Wiebe (Interim) 2008
David Dyck 2008-present
Vic Winter 2009-August 2018
Mike Williamson 2010-present
Zach Charbonneau September 2018-August 2020

Leamington UMC Membership

Year Members
1929 303
1947 711
1950 875
1955 930
1965 1,115
1975 1,262
1985 796
1995 775
2000 729
2008 725
2015 725
2020 689

Map

Map:Leamington United Mennonite Church (Leamington, Ontario, Canada)


Author(s) N. N. Driedger
Marlene Epp
Date Published January 1989

Cite This Article

MLA style

Driedger, N. N. and Marlene Epp. "Leamington United Mennonite Church (Leamington, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 1989. Web. 19 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Leamington_United_Mennonite_Church_(Leamington,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=171668.

APA style

Driedger, N. N. and Marlene Epp. (January 1989). Leamington United Mennonite Church (Leamington, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 19 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Leamington_United_Mennonite_Church_(Leamington,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=171668.



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Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, p. 250. All rights reserved.


©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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