MBs to celebrate 100 years in the city

The very first city church for the Mennonite Brethren in Canada began in Winnipeg, some 100 years ago.

This historic beginning will be celebrated with a variety of events June 1–3.

The first congregation was a small house church of four families, and the first services on record took place at Easter, 1906.

The first MB city church, on Burrows Ave. and Andrews St. in Winnipeg, c. 1911. Photo courtesy of the Centre for MB Studies, Winnipeg

The fledgling group’s zeal and vision was bolstered by the assistance of a mission-minded rural congregation, Winkler, which had been established in 1888. The city was considered a place of sin and spiritual danger, but the Winkler congregation, by supporting this city church, was embarking on a new strategy in home missions.

In 1909, the city church took on a more formal structure and at some point one of Winkler’s ministers, Johann Warkentin, purchased a small chapel with his own money and had it moved to a corner lot of Burrows and Andrews St., where it formed the early nucleus of the North End MB congregation.

Set in an area populated largely by poor immigrants, the Winnipeg mission church reached out with visitation, Sunday school classes, sewing classes, and social assistance. The church grew, over time spawning some 19 MB congregations throughout Winnipeg.

The anniversary to be celebrated in June also provides an occasion for questions and reflection, says Ken Reddig, director of the Centre for MB Studies. The North End of Winnipeg is still one of the poorest areas in Winnipeg but there is no longer an MB church there. “Why did we not retain a presence in the area?”

Celebrations and questions, reflection and new visions, are all on the agenda June 1–3. The Manitoba MB Conference welcomes everyone to join in this time of remembering and visioning.

—from report by Ken Reddig