©Mennonite Heritage Centre 2003
Last updated  22 February 2019

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Niagara United Mennonite Church

Retrieval numbers: Volumes 9, 1602, 2224, 2654, 2931, 3543, 4013, 4506, 4617, 5010, 6289, 6383 Microfilm No.158

Title: Niagara United Mennonite Church fonds
Dates: 1934-2018
Extent: 80 cm of textual records
Extent: 1 microfilm reel
Repository: Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives

Historical note

Niagara United Mennonite Church was founded in 1938 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Families had begun moving into the area in late 1934. They met in private homes for worship. Their first meeting house was built in 1937. In 1938 there were 60 members. In 1945 the membership was 275. A larger meeting house was completed in 1949. With immigration to the area of Mennonites from Europe and South America the membership increased to 681 in 1960. In 1964 the membership was 694. In 1965 a new congregation was begun. In 1967 the meeting house was expanded. In 1968 the membership was 553. In 1986 the membership was 729 and in 2000 it was 625. The leaders of the congregation were: Peter Kroeker (1936-1952), C. K. Neufeld (1939-1988), Peter Dirks (1944-1970), Jakob Dyck (1947-1959), Abram Epp (1948-1960), Helmut C. Wiens (1957-1981), Peter Klassen (1957-1972), Hans Rempel (1961-1996), David Janzen (1963-1971, 1975-1998), Martin Sawatzky (1972-1974), Peter Falk (1975-1982, 1984-1998), Otto Dirks (1983-2000), Werner Fast (1965-2000), Willard Shertzer (2001- ).

Scope and content note

This fonds contains bulletins (1968-2018), directories (1968-2000, 2005), newsletters (1976-1995, 2007-2014; 2014-2018), congregational meeting minutes (1936-1983, 2016), church council meeting minutes (1975-1980), correspondence (1934-1982), legal documents (1938-1946), constitution ([19-?]-2000), annual reports (1936-2001, 2015), and brief congregational histories (1956-1978). The records pertain to the founding and development of the Mennonite congregation in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. They document the leaders and participants in the congregation.

Subject terms

Niagara United Mennonite Church

Creators

Niagara United Mennonite Church

Adjunct descriptive data

Finding aids

Inventory file list available.

Notes

Language

English and much German.

Restrictions on access

Other notes

Textual records have been deposited on a regular basis by the congregation at the Mennonite Heritage Centre. Described by Bert Friesen 1 May 2003; updated by Selenna Wolfe 22 February 2019., Conrad Stoesz February 3, 2022.

Niagara United Mennonite Church fonds file list:

Volume 9

1. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1968), directory (1968), 25th anniversary 1938-1963 booklet (1963)
2. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1973)
3. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1974)
4. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1975), directory (1975)
5. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1976), newsletters (1976)
6. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1977), directory (1977), congregational statistics (1977), Sunday School staff directory (1977), annual reports (1977), a brief congregational history (1977), congregational office holders directory (1977)
7. Niagara United Mennonite Church congregational meeting minutes (1976, 1977), church council meeting minutes (1975, 1976), correspondence (1977)
8. United Mennonite Churches of Ontario convention meeting minutes (1977), United Mennonite Churches of Ontario executive committee meeting minutes (1977), Silver Lake Camp newsletter (1977), schematic plans for building expansion ([197-?]), congregational constitution ([19-?]), 25^th anniversary booklet (1963), United Mennonite Churches of Ontario history (1956)

Volume 1602

1. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1978), congregational office holders directory (1978), a brief congregational history (1978), congregational meeting minutes (1978), church council meeting minutes (1978)
2. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1979), Niagara-on-the-Lake historic brochure ([197-]), Sunday school staff directory (1979), congregational office holders directory (1979), pictorial directory (1979), annual reports (1979), congregational meeting minutes (1979), church council meeting minutes (1979)
3. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1980), directory (1980), concert programme (1980), church council meeting minutes (1980), congregational meeting minutes (1980)

Volume 2224

1. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1981)
2. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1982), congregational meeting minutes (1982), annual reports (1982), resume of Otto Dirks ([198-]), Peter Falk story ([198-]), newsletters (1982), congregational office holders directory (1982), Sunday school staff directory (1982),
3. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1983), constitution (1983), pictorial directory (1983), directory (1983), congregational meeting minutes (1983)

Volume 2931

1. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1984), congregational office holder directory (1984), annual reports (1984), newsletter (1984)
2. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1985), congregational office holder directory (1985), annual reports (1985)
3. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1986), congregational office holder directory (1986); annual report (1986)

Volume 3543

1. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1987), directory (1987)
2. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1988)
3. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1989), directory (1989)

Volume 4013

1. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1990), pictorial directory (1990)
2. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1991), directory (1991)
3. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1992), newsletters (1992), congregational office holder directory (1992)

Volume 2654

1. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1993), directory (1993), newsletter (1993), annual reports (1993)
2. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1995), newsletter (1995), annual reports (1995)

Volume 4506

1. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1996), congregational office holders directory (1996), annual reports (1996)
2. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1997)
3. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1998)
4. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (1999), annual reports (1999)

Volume 4617

1. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (2000), annual reports (2000), pictorial directory (2000), constitution (2000)
2. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (2001), annual reports (2001)
3. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (2002)
4. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (2003)
5. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (2004)
6. Niagara United Mennonite Church bulletins (2005)

Microfilm

Microfilm 158

1. Legal documents: regarding land title deeds, incorporation, banking, etc. (1938-1946)
2. Correspondence and minutes regarding their affiliation with the Waterloo-Kitchener U.M. Church (1934-1938)
3. Marriage register 1954-1978
4. Congregational meeting minutes and annual reports (1936-1976)