Mennville Evangelical Mennonite Church (Riverton, Manitoba, Canada)
Mennville Evangelical Mennonite Church, located near Riverton, Manitoba, was the first Evangelical Mennonite Conference congregation established in Manitoba’s Interlake Region. In the early 1950s EMC families moved to the Washow Bay district for various reasons, including seeking freedom for their religious practice, land for farming, and to reach out spiritually to the wider area. They began a Sunday School and built a school (that was also used for worship). EMC deacon Jacob D. Friesen from Morris and minister Peter P. Friesen from Blumenort moved to the area with their families in 1952.
In 1954 David P. Thiessen and his wife Katherine became leading pastoral couple. They served till 1973. Leonard Dueck and Milton Friesen were elected as additional deacons in 1967 and 1974, respectively. Additional ministers were elected in 1985 -- Terry (and Eloa) Dueck, Roger Plett and Harry Friesen. The congregation had a period of paid leadership and also a time of local unpaid ministers who provided leadership.
The language of worship was German in the beginning and transitioned to English in the 1970s.
The church grew rapidly and by 1960 had 113 members. Church growth peaked at about 170 in the 1970s. In 1989 it had about 135 members. In 2016 its membership was 154.
When the Washow Bay post office closed in 1966, the area became known as Mennville, and the church name Mennville EMC.
For many years the church operated the Mennville Christian School, which offered instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 10. The school closed in 2009.
Bibliography
Loewen, Royden. Blumenort: a Mennonite Community in Transition 1874-1982. Blumenort: Blumenort Mennonite Historical Society, 1983.
Menno Hamm. “Church Profile: Mennville Evangelical Mennonite Conference.” The Messenger (24 March 1989): 7-10.
[Menno Hamm]. “Mennville Christian School.” The Messenger (24 March 1989): 11.
EMC Yearbook for 2016.
Additional Information
Address: Box 403, Riverton, MB R0C 2R0
Phone: 204-378-2985
Denominational Affiliation:
Evangelical Mennonite Conference
Mennville Evangelical Mennonite Church Pastors
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Peter P. Friesen | 1952-1954 |
| David P. Thiessen | 1954-1973 |
| Jacob L. Friesen | 1973-1976 |
| Andrew Dueck | 1976=1989 |
| Ernest Reimer | 1991-2000 |
| Terry Dueck | 2001 |
| Tim and Eva Kroeker (pastoral couple) | 2002-2003 |
| Terry and Eloa Dueck (pastoral couple) | 2002-2003 |
| Terry and Eloa Dueck (pastoral couple) | 2004-2006 |
| Mel Koop (part-time) | 2006 |
| Barry and Jolene Barkman (pastoral couple) | 2007-2008 |
| Dwight and Lorna Plett (pastoral couple) | 2009-2013 |
| Dwight Plett (minister) | 2014-2015 |
| David A. Thiessen (interim) | 2016 |
| Dwight Plett (lead minister) | 2016 |
Mennville EMC Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 113 |
| 1965 | 140 |
| 1970 | 163 |
| 1975 | 160 |
| 1980 | 148 |
| 1985 | 146 |
| 1990 | 120 |
| 1995 | 138 |
| 2000 | 155 |
| 2005 | 157 |
| 2010 | 153 |
| 2015 | 155 |
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Terry Smith | |
| Date Published | June 2017 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene and Terry Smith. "Mennville Evangelical Mennonite Church (Riverton, Manitoba, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2017. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mennville_Evangelical_Mennonite_Church_(Riverton,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=148925.
APA style
Epp, Marlene and Terry Smith. (June 2017). Mennville Evangelical Mennonite Church (Riverton, Manitoba, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Mennville_Evangelical_Mennonite_Church_(Riverton,_Manitoba,_Canada)&oldid=148925.
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