Canadian Mennonite Brethren have long recognized the need to collect and preserve valuable historical records in order to continue to nurture the faith and identity of the church. It was not until the 1960s, however, that Herbert Giesbrecht began to collect and preserve materials in a more systematic way. In 1969, the Canadian Conference formally established an archival centre, and by 1975 the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies (CMBS) was designated as one of three North American centres (Fresno, CA and Hillsboro, KS were home to the others), each of which accepted specified responsibilities for collection and preservation of conference materials.
The facilities were initially very inadequate but in 1979, CMBS moved to a new facility as part of an expansion of MB Bible College (later renamed Concord College). In the new facility, materials were stored in rooms that were environmentally controlled and relatively safe from fire or water damage. In 2000, when the new facility ran out of storage space and after Concord College moved to a new campus, CMBS moved to its present location in the former administrative and library section of the college building.
Expert staff sort, organize, and file materials and create helpful tools to identify and locate them. Modern equipment includes microfilm cameras and readers as well as copiers and computers.
