Matsqui Mennonite Brethren Church (Matsqui, British Columbia, Canada)
Creator: Henry J. Wiens (1885-1975)
Digitized by Hiebert Library. Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies.
Matsqui Mennonite Brethren Church was founded in 1945 at Matsqui village and the members first met in a converted farmhouse. Abram D. Rempel is considered to be the founding leader of this group that numbered 71 members at the outset. The congregation originated through division from South Abbotsford Mennonite Brethren due to the distance of some members from the church. At first the church met in a home but construction soon began on a sanctuary. A ground breaking ceremony was held on 8 May 1947. However, before construction was completed, the building was damaged by the 1948 flood. During this time the congregation met at the Abbotsford airport. The sanctuary was completed in 1950 and dedicated on 12 March 1950. In January 1959 the church burned and a new church was built and completed in 1960.
Membership in the church grew from the original 71 at the organizational meeting on 21 May 1945 to it highest point of 200 in 1955 and stood at 117 in 1975. The church was strongly involved in Christian education and in outreach to the surrounding area and some communities north of the Fraser River. Sunday school was conducted in the village of Matsqui and chapels were constructed at Silverdale and McConnell Creek. As the congregation aged, older members retired and sold their dairy farms in the area, and younger generations chose to live and work in more urban settings. The church voted to dissolve on 23 September 1975 and the building was sold to a Baptist congregation.
Bibliography
Canadian Mennonite (16 January 1959): 1; (4 September 1959): 8; (11 December 1959): 1; (24 November 1961): 24.
Klassen, A. J., ed. The Church in the Heart of the Valley: 1892-1992. Abbotsford, BC: Matsqui-Abbotsford Ministerial Association, 1992: 79-80.
Klassen, Betty Suderman, comp. Memories of Matsqui Mennonite Brethren Church 1945-1975. Abbotsford, BC: Elizabeth G. Klassen, 2007.
Mennonite Brethren Herald (11 September 1992): 14.
Mennonite Reporter (7 September 1992): 12.
Additional Information
Address: 5525 Gladwin Road, Matsqui BC V0X 1S0
Denominational Affiliations:
British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1945-1975)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1945-1975)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches of North America (1945-1975)
Matsqui Mennonite Brethren Church Leading Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Abram D. Rempel | 1945-1949 |
| George A. Konrad | 1949-1955 |
| John F. Klassen | 1955-1957 |
| Henry H. Neufeld | 1957-1963 |
| Alwin P. Wiebe | 1963-1965 |
| Julius J. Kasper | 1966-1969 |
| Jake Thielmann (interim) | 1970 |
| Leo Siemens | 1970-1975 |
Matsqui Mennonite Brethren Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1945 | 90 |
| 1950 | 182 |
| 1955 | 200 |
| 1960 | 146 |
| 1965 | 118 |
| 1970 | 100 |
| 1975 | 117 |
| Author(s) | Gerhard A. Konrad |
|---|---|
| Hugo Friesen | |
| Richard D. Thiessen | |
| Date Published | November 2009 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Konrad, Gerhard A., Hugo Friesen and Richard D. Thiessen. "Matsqui Mennonite Brethren Church (Matsqui, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2009. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Matsqui_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Matsqui,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=155491.
APA style
Konrad, Gerhard A., Hugo Friesen and Richard D. Thiessen. (November 2009). Matsqui Mennonite Brethren Church (Matsqui, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Matsqui_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Matsqui,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=155491.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 538. All rights reserved.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.