Main Centre church celebrates 100 years
Main Centre, Sask. |
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More than 500 people gathered July 23–25 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Main Centre (Sask.) MB Church. A large tent complete with closed circuit TV was erected to accommodate the many visitors. 
Main Centre MB Church, 1988. Photo courtesy of Centre for MB Studies |
Activities included a barbecue with a “Country Connections Coffee House” that featured music and memories, a celebration concert with Winnipeg recording artist Steve Bell, and a fireworks display against a spectacular backdrop of northern lights. Throughout Saturday, people participated in various planned excursions. These included heritage bus tours to view the school and yard sites of past and present members, river boat tours on Lake Diefenbaker, a tour of the Main Centre Hutterite Colony, the unveiling of the Lobethal School Marker, and the horse-drawn “Tally-Ho” that escorted people to the nearly museum and memory halls. Activities for children included personalized sketches by Lorlie Barkman.
Sunday morning’s service had the theme, “A century of praise – a time to worship.” The speaker was one of Main Centre’s “native sons,” John H. Redekop, adjunct professor at Trinity Western University, Langley, B.C. He wove together Scripture and personal memories of growing up in Main Centre. He recalled the spring his father was too ill to seed his land. The Redekop children watched in amazement as one seeding machine after another appeared on their land. District farmers accomplished the task in short order.
The Main Centre congregation originated through immigration from the U.S. and the Soviet Union and was originally called Bethel MB Church. Benjamin Janz was the founding leader. At one time the church community had as many as 250 people, but rural depopulation has reduced its numbers to about two dozen families. It is currently pastored by Ken and Mary Epp. In reflecting on their heritage, members past and present were reminded to trust God for the days to come.
—from reports by Marie Schmidt and M.J. Martens. See also the personal reflection on this event in “Breathe,” later in this issue.
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