©Mennonite Heritage Centre 2003
Last updated 30 May 2003.  

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Chilliwack Mennonite Church

Retrieval numbers: Volume 101; microfilm No. 421.

Title: Chilliwack Mennonite Church fonds
Dates: 1960-1976
Extent: 8 cm of textual records
Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

Historical note

The Chilliwack Mennonite Church (originally called First Mennonite Church) was founded in 1947. Mennonites had come into the Chilliwack area of B.C. from the prairies in the 1940s. A congregation, initially known as the Westheimer Mennoniten Gemeinde, had been formed in 1945 but a division of opinion on many matters caused a split in 1947. The original group was named the East Chilliwack Mennonite Church and the new congregation was named the First Mennonite Church. In 1951 First Mennonite Church (Chilliwack) had 57 members. In 1958 there were 105 members. In 1969 the congregation merged with the Chilliwack Mission Church and the name was changed to Chilliwack Mennonite Church. In 1974 the membership was 94. The congregation dissolved in 1978. The leaders of the congregation were: Gerhard Peters (1947-1959), Abram Koop (1960-1967), Ernest Sawatzky (1968), Peter Unger (1969-1971), George Harms (1972), Peter Bartel (1973-1975), Tony Buhr (1976), George Epp (1977).

Scope and content note

This fonds contains bulletins (1971-1976), brief congregational history (1960), correspondence (1960-1966), reports 1961-1966), and a questionnaire (1973). The records pertain to the founding and development of the Mennonite congregation in Chilliwack, B.C. They document some of the leaders and participants in the congregation.

Subject terms

Chilliwack Mennonite Church

Creators

Chilliwack Mennonite Church First Mennonite Church (Chilliwack, B.C.)

Adjunct descriptive data

Finding aids

Inventory file list available.

Notes

Restrictions on access

No restrictions on access.

Other notes

Textual records were deposited by the congregation at the Mennonite Heritage Centre. Described by Bert Friesen 10 January 2003.

Chilliwack Mennonite Church fonds file list:

Volume 101

  1. First Mennonite Mission, Chilliwack brief congregational history (1960), First Mennonite Church, Chilliwack correspondence (1960-1966), First Mennonite Church reports 1961-1966)
  2. Chilliwack Mennonite Church bulletins (1971, 1973), questionnaire (1973)
  3. Chilliwack Mennonite Church bulletins (1974)
  4. Chilliwack Mennonite Church bulletins (1975)
  5. Chilliwack Mennonite Church bulletins (1976)

Microfilms:

Microfilm No. 421 (MHC Project No. 152)

  1. Administration
    1. Church Records, 1961-1965.
    2. Minute Book, January 10, 1961 – October 22, 1969.
    3. Rough Notes of Minutes, 1966(?).
    4. Handwritten Minutes (many are incomplete), 1967.
    5. Handwritten Minutes and Administrative Reports, 1968.
    6. Handwritten Minutes and Administrative Reports, 1969.
  2. Organizations and Institutions
    1. Women’s Organizations.
      1. Young Women’s Charity Club, 1965-1969(?).
      2. Women’s Missionay Society, 1947-1976.
      3. Sr. Nähverein, 1965-1969.
    2. Christian Education.
      1. Sunday School, 1965-1969.
      2. Torchbearers Club, 1966.
      3. Leather Craft Club, 1966.
      4. Wayfarers Girls Club, 1967.
      5. Christian Endeavour, 1966.
      6. Young People/Youth, 1966-1967, 1969.
    3. Trustees, 1967, 1969.
    4. Choir, 1966, 1969(?).
    5. Bethel Bible Institute Report, 1965, 1969(?).
    6. MCC Report, 1967.
  3. Correspondence, 1966-1969.
  4. Materials Relating to the Dissolution of the Chilliwack Mennonite Church.
      1. Bulletin, November 28, 1976.
      2. To: Conference Excutive, Conference of the United Mennonite Churches of BC. From: Erwin Cornelsen, Peter Froese, George Nachtigal. Subject: The Convern related to the life of the Church at Chilliwack Mennonite, December 27, 1976.
      3. Correspondence, Anton (Tony) Buhr to George, December 29, 1976.
      4. Correspondence, George Groening to Henry Gerbrandt, January 7, 1977.
      5. Bittschrift (Petition referred to on p. 2 of December 27, 1976 document, #ii above).
      6. Special Congregational Meeting with Conference Representatives, March 5, 1977.
      7. Minutes, Congregational Meeting, March 5, 1977.
      8. Correspondence, Peter Unger (minster, 1969-1972), to Russell and Etsuko Sawatsky, March 11, 1989.
  5. Church Building Records
    1. Church Building Records, 1963-1965.
    2. Church Building Records, 1965-1966.
  6. Miscellaneous Items
    1. A Preliminary Survey of the Possibilities of Amalgamation of the two Churchs in Chilliwack, January 2, 1968.
    2. "Amount Owing", [1979?].
    3. Votes for various church positions.
    4. A piece of paper indicating pounds per month.
    5. Conference of United Mennonite Churches in BC. To the Member Churches…., May 12, 1968.
    6. Bulletin, September 8, 1968.
    7. Two Unpublished Histories, 1972 & 1977.