© Mennonite Heritage Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Last updated March 31, 2008)


  • Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario


    Retrieval numbers: Volume 679-681, 1894-1915, 2296, 2607, 3674-3678; Microfilm nos. 208-213

    Title: Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario fonds
    Dates: 1923-1987
    Extent: 2.5 m of textual records
    Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

    Historical note

    The Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario traces is beginning to several thousand Russian Mennonites who immigrated to Ontario after World War I, settling primarily in three areas: Kitchener-Waterloo and vicinity, Essex County in the extreme southwest, and the Niagara peninsula. These immigrants organized themselves as United Mennonite congregations under the leadership of Bishop Jacob H. Janzen of Kitchener. Their broader afflilation was with the General Conference Mennonite Church with headquarters in Newton, Kansas. The need for a concerted effort in urban missions and education led to the organization of a provincial conference in 1944. The Conference supported the establishment of a private high school, the United Mennonite Educational Institute (Leamington), and took responsibility for ministry to a growing number of Mennonites in such cities as Toronto, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Windsor, resulting in the establishment of city congregations. The Hamilton Mennonite Church, in turn, initiated an inner-city ministry, which grew into the Welcome Inn Community Centre and Church. Conference mission work also extended to Chinese, Laotian, and Latin American immigrants.
    Increasing inter-Mennonite cooperation in education and mission marked the period from 1963 to 1988. The conference joined in establishing Conrad Grebel College in 1963 and in forming the Inter-Mennonite Conference of Ontario in 1973. In 1987 the conference agreed to dissolve in favor of the broader Mennonite unity represented by the emerging Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada (1988). At the time, the United Mennonite Conference comprised 22 congregations and 5,363 members.

    Scope and content note

    This fonds consists of programs, reports and minutes of annual delegate conferences (1947-1987) and of various conference committees and projects (ca. 1950-1977); records of the deacons and ministers conferences 1929-1976, minutes of related organizations such as the immigrant association, relief committee, Mennonite Central Committee, and Inter-Mennonite Executive Council; conference yearbooks (1947-1987); miscellaneous paper (1937-1977); and reports from several member congregations (Ottawa, 1960-1976; Waters, 1959-1963; Hamilton, 1954-1966; Rockway, 1962.

    Index terms

    Creators

  • Conference of United Mennonites in Ontario

    Adjunct descriptive data

    Finding aids

    Inventory file list

    Notes

    Custodial history

    Some materials have some various officers of the conference (e.g. chairman's files).

    Language

    Some German materials

    Arrangement

    Inventory updated by Alf Redekopp, March 2008.

    Availability of other formats

    80% on microfilm

    Restrictions on access

    none to access

    Other notes

    Acc. no. 88-132

    CONFERENCE OF UNITED MENNONITE CHURCHES IN ONTARIO FONDS FILE INVENTORY LIST:

    Volume 679
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches of Ontario
    
    1.	Annual reports (stapled copies). – 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980.
    2.	Ontario Youth Newsletter. – 1965.
    
    Volume 680
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches of Ontario
    
    1.	Yearbooks for 1947-1958
    2.	Information booklet of Ontario U.M. Churches 1956.
    
    Volume 681
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches of Ontario
    
    1.	Yearbooks for 1959-1970
    
    Volume 2296
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches of Ontario
    
    1.	Yearbooks for 1971, 1972, 1973.
    2.	Yearbooks for 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984.
    (see also MHC "Conference Yearbook" collection for complete set)
    
    
    Volume 2607
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches of Ontario
    
    1.	Ministers’ and Deacons’ minute book #1, 1929-1968.
    2.	Ministers’ and Deacons’ minute book #2, 1929-1968.
    
    Volume 1894-1915
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches of Ontario, Records 1923-1978
    (s/a MHC microfilm # 208-213)
    
    Volume 1894
    
    I. Early Conference-Related Committee
    
    1.	Prediger Konferenz - Ministers and Deacons Conference, 1943-1976
    2.	Povincial Immigranten Komitee, 1934-1943
    3.	Vertreter Versammlung, 1938, 1941, 1943
    4.	Provincial Hilfskomitee, 1948, 1951-1958
    5.	Distrikt Komitee - Distrikt Versammlung, 1938-1940
    6.	Komitees der Kitchener-Waterloo Organization, 1931-1934
    
    Volume 1895
    
    II. United Mennonite Conference
    
    A. Conference Committees and Projects
    1.	Executive Committee #1, 1960, 1962-1977
    2.	Executive Committee #2, 1960, 1962-1977
    3.	Council of Committees, 1962-1977
    4.	Committee on the Ministry, 1975
    5.	Missions #1, 1950-1977
    
    Volume 1896
    1.	Missions #2, 1950-1977
    2.	Missions #3, 1950-1977
    3.	Missions #4, 1950-1977
    
    Volume 1897
    1.	Peace and Service #1, 1959-1967
    2.	Peace and Service #2, 1959-1967
    3.	Education (U.M. Conference Education Committee, U.M.C.I. and others)#1, 1955-1977
    4.	Education (U.M. Conference Education Committee, U.M.C.I. and others)#2, 1955-1977
    
    Volume 1898
    1.	Education (U.M. Conference Education Committee, U.M.C.I. and others)#3, 1955-1977
    2.	Education (U.M. Conference Education Committee, U.M.C.I. and others)#4, 1955-1977
    3.	Education (U.M. Conference Education Committee, U.M.C.I. and others)#5, 1955-1977
    4.	Financial #1, 1938-1977
    
    Volume 1899
    1.	Financial #2, 1938-1977
    2.	Financial #3, 1938-1977
    3.	Financial #4, 1938-1977
    4.	Financial #5, 1938-1977
    5.	Legal, 1941-1978
    
    Volume 1900
    1.	Conrad Grebel #1
    2.	Conrad Grebel #2
    3.	Conrad Grebel #3
    4.	Silver Lake Camp#1
    
    Volume 1901
    1.	Silver Lake Camp#2
    2.	Conference Moderators, 1966, 1970-1974
    3.	Youth Organizations #1, 1952-1978
    4.	Youth Organizations #2, 1952-1978
    5.	Oshawa Men's Hostel, 1967-1969
    6.	Rockhaven House, 1969
    
    Volume 1902
    Welcome Inn, 1972-1976
    1.	Christian Nurture Council, 1969-1972
    2.	Stewardship Institution, 1965-1969
    3.	Ailsa Craig Boy's Farm, 1956-1970
    4.	United Mennonite Conference (General), 1961-1971
    
    Volume 1903
    B. Ontario Mennonite Churches
    
    1.	Ottawa Mennonite #1, 1960-1967
    2.	Ottawa Mennonite #2, 1960-1967
    3.	Waters U.M. (Sudbury), 1959-1963
    4.	Hamilton Mennonite, 1954-1966
    5.	Rockway U.M. , 1962
    
    Volume 1904 to 1906
    C. Annual Conferences, 1947-1978  (Programs, Minutes, Reports)
    
    Volume 1907
    D. Correspondence, 1937-1977
    
    1.	Correspondence
    2.	Correspondence
    3.	Correspondence
    
    Volume 1908
    1.	Correspondence
    2.	Correspondence
    3.	Correspondence
    
    Volume 1909
    1.	Correspondence
    2.	Correspondence
    3.	Correspondence
    4.	Correspondence
    
    Volume 1910
    1.	Correspondence
    2.	Correspondence
    3.	Correspondence
    
    Volume 1911
    1.	Correspondence
    2.	Correspondence
    3.	Correspondence
    4.	Correspondence
    5.	Correspondence
    
    Volume 1912
    III. Non-U.M. Conferences
    
    1.	Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) #1, 1950, 1962-1970
    2.	Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) #2, 1950, 1962-1970
    3.	Inter-Mennonite Executive Council, 1975-1978
    
    Volume 1913
    Miscellaneous (some U.M.Conference materials)
    1.	Miscellaneous #1  1937-1977
    2.	Miscellaneous #2  1937-1977
    3.	Miscellaneous #3  1937-1977
    4.	Miscellaneous #4  1937-1977
    
    Volume 1914
    1.	Miscellaneous #5  1937-1977
    2.	Miscellaneous #6  1937-1977
    3.	Miscellaneous #7  1937-1977
    4.	Miscellaneous #7  1937-1977
    5.	Miscellaneous #8  1937-1977
    
    Volume 1915
    1.	Amalgamation Study Committee Report 1981
    2.	Directory of Inter Mennonite Student Services
    3.	MCOQ – WOMC Annual Conference 1985
    4.	UMC, WOM, MCOQ Service of Praise & Celebration Program (1987)
    
    
    VOLUME 3674
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario
    (Acc. 88-132)
    
    Chairman’s Files (Ed Janzen, 1981-1986)
    
    1.	Annual Conference Minutes 1980-1981
    2.	Committee Membership Lists
    3.	Conference Minister — Selection 1979-1982
    4.	Conference Minister — Reports
    5.	Correspondence -- Conference of Mennonites in Canada/General Conference Mennonite Church
    6.	Correspondence - Congregations (Individual)
    7.	Correspondence — Congregations (General)
    8.	Correspondence — Other Organizations
    9.	Education Committee
    10.	Education Committee - Youth
    11.	Executive Committee - Minutes
    
    
    VOLUME 3675
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario
    
    1.	Executive Council/Council of Committees — Minutes
    2.	Finances - Budgets
    3.	Finances - Correspondence
    4.	Finances -  General Conference Development Plan 1984-1985
    5.	Finances -  Letters to Congregations
    6.	Finances -  Reports
    7.	Mennonite Central Committee
    8.	Missions and Service - Committee Minutes
    9.	Missionsand Service — Correspondence
    
    
    VOLUME 3676
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario
    
    1.	Missions and Service - Hispanic Ministries (New Life Centre, Toronto)
    2.	Missions and Service — Laotian Ministries (Niagara Peninsula)
    3.	Missions and Service - Welcome Inn (Hamilton)
    4.	Personnel Committee
    5.	Program Committee
    6.	Silver Lake Camp
    7.	Inter Mennonite Amalgamation Study Conference 1979-1980
    
    
    VOLUME 3677
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario
    
    1.	Inter Mennonite Board of Congregational Resources
    2.	Inter Mennonite Conferences
    3.	Inter Mennonite Conrad Grebel College
    4.	Inter Mennonite Correspondence
    5.	Inter Mennonite Executive Council
    6.	Inter Mennonite Family Life Commission
    7.	Inter Mennonite Financial Reports
    8.	Inter Mennonite Conference of Ontario / Western Ontario Mennonite Conference
    9.	Inter Mennonite Pastoral Leadership Training Board
    
    VOLUME 3678
    Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario
    
    1.	Inter Mennonite Service Board
    2.	Inter Mennonite Shared Facilities Committee 1980-1982
    3.	Inter Mennonite Youth
    
    Chairman’s Files (John Cornies, 1987-1988)
    
    4.	Annual Conference/Constitution
    5.	Closing Celebration
    6.	Conference of Mennonites in Canada
    7.	Education Committee
    8.	Executive Committee - Correspondence/Reports
    9.	Executive Committee — Minutes
    10.	Finances
    11.	Mennonite Central Committee
    12.	Missions
    13.	Peace Sunday Resource Material
    14.	Personnel
    15.	St. Clair O’Connor Community
    16.	Silver Lake Camp