Zoar Mennonite Church (Waldheim, Saskatchewan, Canada)
In 1911 a congregation was organized in the Waldheim, Saskatchewan as a second group along with the Langham group to form the Zoar Mennonite Church. They met in rented facilities. In 1912, they built their own meeting house. In 1917 they joined the Conference of Mennonites in Canada. The meeting house was renovated in 1958. In 1960 there was a division which led to the formation of a new congregation, Grace Mennonite Mission, in 1961. Nicholas Toews is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through immigration from Kansas, Minnesota, North and South Dakota and from the Soviet Union.
The language of worship was English; the transition from German occurred in the 1950s.
Due to declining attendance and financial challenges, the congregation began to contemplate the closing of the church in May 2020, and on 26 July the membership voted to close the church. The congregation held its closing service on 11 April 2021. The building was sold to the Town of Waldheim for use as a community center.
Bibliography
"1890-Waldheim." Mennonite Historical Society of Canada collection, Mennonite Archives of Ontario.
Adrian, Dorothy. "Waldheim Zoar Mennonite Church, 1910-1972." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1973, 71 pp., Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Bartel, Ken. "The Split of the Waldheim Zoar Mennonite Church 1960-1961." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1982, 19 pp., Mennonite Heritage Centre.
Canadian Mennonite (18 November 1960): 9; (17 March 2008): 17; (12 November 2012): 21.
Schmide, Edward D. "A Short History of the Zoar Mennonite Congregation at Waldheim, Saskatchewan, Canada." Research paper, n.d., 30 pp.
Summach, Emily. "Churches leave a legacy: three Saskatchewan churches face decisions after closing their doors." Canadian Mennonite 26, no. 1 (10 January 2022): 26-27.
Archival Records
Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives: Zoar Mennonite Church (Waldheim) fonds.
Additional Information
Address: Box 368, Waldheim, SK S0K 4R0; the church is located at 4009 - 2nd Avenue East, Waldheim, Saskatchewan
Phone: 306-945-2271
Website: Zoar Mennonite Church, Waldheim
Denominational Affiliations:
Conference of Mennonites of Saskatchewan / Mennonite Church Saskatchewan
Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1928-2021)
General Conference Mennonite Church (1917-1999)
Zoar Mennonite Church Leading Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Nicholas Toews | 1910-1914 |
| J. C. Peters | 1910-1916 |
| David Toews | 1916-1920 |
| Joshua Buller | 1913-1920 |
| Gerhard Buhler | 1922-1932 |
| John L. Zacharias | 1932-1957 |
| Jacob R. Schmidt | 1929-1941 |
| Jacob C. Schmidt | 1943-1944 |
| John Block | 1943-1960 |
| I. V. Schmidt | 1956-1958 |
| Jacob Mierau | 1956-1958 |
| David Dyck | 1958-1960 |
| Henry Penner | 1961-1962 |
| Henry Funk | 1962-1964 1965-1971 |
| Jake Krause | 1971-1975 |
| Gerald Klassen | 1976-1979 |
| Benno Klassen | 1979-1996 |
| George Hoeppner | 1996-1997 |
| Barry Lesser | 1997-2007 |
| Henry Block (interim) | 2008-2009 |
| Henry & Erna Funk | 2009-2011 |
| Ben Pauls | 2012-2017 |
| Andrea Enns-Gooding | 2018-2021 |
Zoar Mennonite Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1925 | 129 |
| 1950 | 231 |
| 1960 | 202 |
| 1962 | 153 |
| 1965 | 160 |
| 1975 | 188 |
| 1981 | 191 |
| 1985 | 185 |
| 1995 | 188 |
| 2000 | 181 |
| 2010 | 132 |
| 2015 | 111 |
| Author(s) | Bert Friesen |
|---|---|
| Richard D. Thiessen | |
| Date Published | November 2012 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Friesen, Bert and Richard D. Thiessen. "Zoar Mennonite Church (Waldheim, Saskatchewan, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2012. Web. 3 Dec 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Zoar_Mennonite_Church_(Waldheim,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=175000.
APA style
Friesen, Bert and Richard D. Thiessen. (November 2012). Zoar Mennonite Church (Waldheim, Saskatchewan, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 3 December 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Zoar_Mennonite_Church_(Waldheim,_Saskatchewan,_Canada)&oldid=175000.
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