1921–1983.
10 cm of textual records.
Administrative history
During the 1920s vacation Bible schools were conducted in the Horndean area under the Canadian Sunday School Mission. When the Steinreich school was moved into Horndean in 1932 regular worship services were conducted by the Sommerfelder, Bergthaler and Mennonite Brethren church. Churches in the area were assigned to lead different Sundays. Grossweide MB Church was responsible for every second Sunday. The Mennonite Brethren presence became more pronounced in 1952 when the Manitoba MB Conference moved a chapel from Altona to Horndean and a number of the families who attended the mission joined the Mennonite Brethren group. The leadership for this mission (called the Horndean Gospel Light Mission) was also provided by John J. Neufeld, leader of the Grossweide MB Church. When the church in Grossweide was destroyed by fire in 1953, their members joined the church in Horndean for worship. The attendance grew rapidly but returned back to the original number after a new church building was completed at Grossweide. Because of urbanization and many young people moving away, the attendance at both Grossweide and Horndean churches dropped. The Manitoba MB Conference encouraged the two groups to join together. This decision was made in 1964. The Horndean Church was closed and the Grossweide Church was relocated to Horndean. The official merger was celebrated at a special service on November 15, 1964. The church was officially accepted into the Manitoba conference in 1965. In the sixties and seventies, the membership declined greatly. The church eventually closed in 1983.
The leaders of the church included: John J. Neufeld, Abe Quiring (1953–1959); Peter W. Martens (1959–1962); Student Pastors (1962–1964) – Ernie Isaac, Peter J. Loewen, and Henry Willms; John Froese (1965–1967), Peter W. Martens (1967–1973), Isaac B. Hildebrandt (1973–1975), Jake G. Neufeld and Theodore Martens (1975–1982), William Schroeder (1983).
The language of worship is English. The transition from German occured in the 1960's.
Scope and content
This fonds includes historical sketches, bulletins, baptism and membership records, minutes from annual meetings, congregational, council and music committee meetings, and financial ledgers.
Custodial history
Some of the material was submitted to the archives by William. Schroeder on November 2, 1992. Other records came to the archives in the summer of 1992 with the materials from the Winkler MB Church where the Horndean material had been left after the closing.
Notes
- Volume 420.
- Related material: Manitoba Mennonite Brethren Conference Funds, Administrator's Files, box 1:21.
- Finding aid: The records are classified under the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches inventory BC506 (series description and file list available).
- Accession no.: 2010-023.
- Description updated by Tamara Dyck, January 2011.
Series description
Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church history.
1980–1983.
0.5 cm of textual records.
This series consists of information for historical sketches, historical stories written by congregational members, correspondence concerning the closing of the church, the church guest book, news articles about the closing service, an article from the MB Herald and a picture of the Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church built in 1953. This series also consists of the original land titles which were purchased by the Winkler Mennonite Brethren Church.
- Finding aid: Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church file list no. 1, 15, 16.
Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church bulletins.
1983.
0.5 cm of textual records.
This series consists of bulletins from March 20, 1983-September 18, 1983.
- Finding aid: Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church file list no. 2.
Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church membership records.
1925–1983.
6.5 cm of textual records.
This series consists of baptism and membership registers, membership directories, membership and transfer certificates, and burial certificates.
- Finding aid: Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church file list no. 3–9.
Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church annual meetings.
1945–1956.
0.25 cm of textual records.
This series consists of the annual meeting minutes.
- Finding aid: Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church file list no. 10.
Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church congregational meetings.
1962–1964, 1979–1983.
1 cm of textual records.
This series consists of the congregational and council meeting minutes, and the music committee minutes.
- Finding aid: Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church file list no. 11–13.
Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church financial ledgers.
1921–1945.
0.25 cm of textual records.
This series consists of the financial ledger for the Grossweide Mennonite Brethren Church.
- Finding aid: Horndean Mennonite Brethren Church file list no. 14.
Textual file list
Volume 420
- History, Correspondence. – 1980–1983.
- Bulletins. – 1983.
- Baptism and Membership Records. – 1929–1959.
- Baptism and Membership Records. – 1960–1967.
- Horndean MB Church Register. – 1925–1983.
- Membership Directories. – 1971, 1981, 1982.
- Membership Register. – 1925–1983.
- Membership and Transfer Certificates. – alphabetical.
- Burial Certificates. – alphabetical.
- Annual Meetings. – 1945–1956.
- Council Meetings. – 1983.
- Congregational Meeting Minutes. – 1962–1964.
- Music Committee Meeting Minutes. – 1979–1983.
- Financial Ledgers. – 1921–1945.
- Picture of Horndean MB Church. – 1953.
- Land titles and deeds. -- 1892-1980.
