West Portal Mennonite Brethren Church (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada)
The West Portal Mennonite Brethren congregation in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan began in 1950, and formally organized in 1957. This church began as a city mission Sunday school work. In 1950 Helen Giesbrecht held six classes for children in homes in various parts of the city. By 1952 the number of classes per month ranged from 9 to 16 with total average attendance from 133 to 215. The first building was occupied in 1962, with a subsequent building program in 1984. Abe J. Sawatsky is considered the founding leader of the group.
In 1952 the Saskatchewan Mennonite Brethren conference purchased two lots to build a mission hall at the corner of 20th Street and Avenue W. Building progressed slowly in 1953 and 1954. Meanwhile, services were conducted in the Pleasant Hill school with Wes Willems as Sunday school superintendent and Allan Baerg as treasurer. From 1954 to 1956 meetings were held in the basement of the new hall since the building had not been completed. During this phase the group was called the City Mission. In 1957 the City Mission organized as an Mennonite Brethren church with 22 charter members and in June of that year the building was completed and dedicated. In 1962 the name was changed to the West Portal Mennonite Brethren Church. In 1983 a new church was built on 33rd Street.
West Portal planted Living Hope Church in Saskatoon in 2001 and Faith River Christian Fellowship, also in Saskatoon, in 2005.
Bibliography
Mennonite Brethren Herald (27 May 1988): 66.
Penner, Peter. No Longer at Arms Length: Mennonite Brethren Church Planting in Canada. Winnipeg: Kindred Press, 1987. Available in full electronic text at: https://archive.org/stream/NoLongerAtArmsLengthMBChurchPlantingInCanadaOCRopt?ref=ol#mode/2up.
Toews, John A. A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church: Pilgrims and Pioneers. Fresno, CA, 1975: 164. Available in full electronic text at: https://archive.org/details/AHistoryOfTheMennoniteBrethrenChurch.
Additional Information
Address: 3134 33rd St. West, Saskatoon, SK S7L 6V5
Phone: 306-382-1622
Website: West Portal Mennonite Brethren Church
Denominational Affiliations:
Saskatchewan Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1957-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1957-present)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1957-2002)
West Portal MB Church Leading Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Abe J. Sawatsky | 1950-1956 |
| Lawrence Redekopp | 1956-1963 |
| Mark Gripp | 1964 |
| Wally Gripp | 1964-1967 |
| Nick Willems | 1967-1972 |
| Abe Klassen | 1972-1989 |
| Dwayne Barkman | 1989-2008 |
| Kelly Wiebe | 2009-present |
West Portal MB Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 123 |
| 1985 | 176 |
| 1994 | 264 |
| 2000 | 321 |
| 2010 | 342 |
| Author(s) | Marlene Epp |
|---|---|
| Date Published | August 2011 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Epp, Marlene. "West Portal Mennonite Brethren Church (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2011. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=West_Portal_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Saskatoon,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=170143.
APA style
Epp, Marlene. (August 2011). West Portal Mennonite Brethren Church (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=West_Portal_Mennonite_Brethren_Church_(Saskatoon,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=170143.
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