Sunchild Mission (Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada)
The Sunchild Mission, as it was known from 1949 to 1969, was located about 240 km (150 miles) from Linden, Alberta, Canada. Although the mission was sponsored and administered by the Northern District Mission Board of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, the immediate responsibility fell on the Linden congregation.
The mission was directed to the Cree and Chippewa People who lived in the area northwest of Rocky Mountain House. In 1949 a farm was purchased halfway between Rocky Mountain House and the Sunchild Indian Reserve. The first staff on the farm were A. J. Wilson and wife. The Wilsons moved further west and the following winter Mrs. Wilson taught some of the First Nations children near the site of the future mission.
The Canadian government built a school, teacher residence and warehouse, with the mission required to provide the teachers. Later another building was added to serve as the headquarters for the mission. The school opened 6 November 1950 with Cornelius L. Toews as the teacher.
For a time the school and mission expanded to two satellite stations at Nordegg Flats (1956-1964) and Baptiste River (1951-1959). After 1964 all children were bused to Sunchild. A new government school at a different location in 1967 meant the end of the Sunchild location. The mission leaders found their influence decreasing because they did not accept newer teaching methods required by the Department of Indian Affairs.
During the existence of the mission a small church was moved and placed on the hill near the mission house. Many Sundays services were held there, with short sermons by mission staff. The mission usually had nurses, both practical and registered, as well as other helpers to look after the physical needs of the children and some families.
After the mission closed, the church building was moved for use of the Lakeview congregation.
Bibliography
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Yearbook (2019):
Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 66-69.
Additional Information
Address: Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
Phone:
Website:
Denominational Affiliations:
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article
By Melvin Gingerich. Copied by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1128. All rights reserved.
The Sunchild Indian Mission (Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (CGC) was located 38 miles (61 km) northeast of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. In 1958 it had 13 members, with Dewey Unruh as its superintendent. It was first listed in the Yearbook (CGC) for 1949.
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | June 2020 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Sunchild Mission (Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2020. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Sunchild_Mission_(Rocky_Mountain_House,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=168267.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (June 2020). Sunchild Mission (Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Sunchild_Mission_(Rocky_Mountain_House,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=168267.
©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.