©Mennonite Heritage Centre 2002-2011
Last updated 25 August 2011

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Title: Thompson United Mennonite Church fonds
Dates: 1963-2009
Extent: 20 cm of textual records; ca. 1150 photographs.

Historical note

The Thompson United Mennonite Church began services in 1961, and formally organized in 1963. The first building was occupied in 1963. John F. Wiebe is considered the founding leader. The founding group consisted of Mennonite families from various Mennonite denominations who had found employment in this northern Manitoba's nickel mining town. (Thompson is the home for International Nickel Company.) In 1965 the membership was 33. The congregation applied for membership in the Mennonite Brethren conference in 1968 as well. Since they were refused dual Mennonite Brethren and General Conference membership, they withdrew both applications at the time. In 1975 the membership was 41. The membership was 26 in 1990 and 37 in 2000. Leadership gaps occurred in this congregation. The leaders of the congregation were: John Harder (1963-1965), Ernie Sawatzky (1968-1972), Archie Jantzen (1974-1975), Tom Neufeld (1976-1978), Gloria and Vern Redekop (1982-1984), Allan Froese (1988-1989), Bea Shantz (1990-1991), Don Read (1992), Joan Blatz (1994-1999).
This congregation had its finally worship service on July 2, 2006.

Scope and content note

This fonds includes membership records (1963-2006), bulletins (1963-1971), congregational meeting minutes (1969-1971), church council meeting minutes (1966-1974), annual reports (1964-1970),  miscellaneous documents (1970-1974), some correspondence (1979-1980)  and a guest book (1965-1970).

Finding aids

Inventory file list available.

Related Materials (this repository)

GCMC - Board of Christian Service - Thompson Summer V.S. Unit file, 1958-1962 (Vol.  791:6) 

Notes

Restrictions on access

No restrictions on access.

Other notes

Textual records were deposited by the congregation in the Mennonite Heritage Centre. Described by Bert Friesen 20 December 2001; updated by Alf Redekopp 21 November 2008. (Acc. 2008-093); 1 April 2010 (Acc. 2010-014)..

Thompson United Mennonite Church fonds file list:

Volume 56

  1. Notes and newspaper clippings. -- 1961-1963.
  2. Thompson United Mennonite Church bulletins (1963), annual report book (1963)
  3. Thompson United Mennonite Church bulletins (1964), annual reports (1964)
  4. Thompson United Mennonite Church bulletins (1965), annual report book (1965)
  5. Thompson United Mennonite Church bulletins (1966)
  6. Thompson United Mennonite Church bulletins (1967)
  7. Thompson United Mennonite Church bulletins (1968)
  8. Thompson United Mennonite Church bulletins (1969)
  9. Thompson United Mennonite Church bulletins (1970)
  10. Thompson United Mennonite Church bulletins (1971)
  11. Thompson United Mennonite Church congregational correspondence (1970), installation service programme (1974)
  12. Thompson United Mennonite Church council meeting minutes (1966-1974)
  13. Thompson United Mennonite Church council meeting (1979-1980)
  14. Correspondence (1979-1980)

Volume 5368

  1. Membership ledger (1963-2006)
  2. Baptism booklet and Marriage booklet (1965)
  3. Correspondence re. membership transfers (in and out) (1968-1999)
  4. Letkeman, Henry & Linda - membership info, addresses given at Henry Letkeman's death  in 1968.
  5. Guest Book (1965-1970)

Photograph Collection 668 (Acc. No. 2010-014)

668:1 Thompson United Mennonite Church Photo Album CD ROM. - 2009. - 1 CD ROM: ca. 1150 images.
A few years before the closing of the Thompson U.M. Church, people attending the church were asked to contribute photos to a church photo album. When the church closed this album was passed on to Jack Crolly, who scanned all the images and added many more, attempting to fill in gaps in the 35-year history of the congregation and identifying as many of the faces as possible. Copies were made available to former members of the church.