©Mennonite Heritage Centre 2002
Last updated May 26, 2023

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Title: Emmaus Mennonite Church fonds
Dates: 1926-2020
Extent: 43 cm of textual records

Historical note

Mennonites from Manitoba settled in the area south of Swift Current, Saskatchewan in 1905 onwards. More settlers came when the railway was built in the area after 1911. In 1913, the Conference of Mennonites in Canada began a work in the area to serve the families in the Wymark, Blumenhof, and Neville areas. The first baptisms occurred in the following years. In 1928 the congregation was officially founded with about 75 charter members. This was a multi-congregation Gemeinde with a meeting place near Wymark and another in Swift Current. It was called the Emmaus Mennonite Church. By 1940, the membership had reached 224. In 1959, the membership was 270. It was then decided to form two congregations, so in 1960 the congregation in Swift Current was called the First Mennonite Church. In 1961, it changed its name to the Zion Mennonite Church. In 1962, the Wymark congregation was again referred to as the Emmaus Mennonite Church so it retained the original Gemeinde name. It had 40 members in 1962. The membership grew steadily to peak in 1990 at 77. Then it declined in 1992 to 50, and remained there to be 51 in 2000. The leaders of the congregation were: Isaac Wiens (1928-1935), Abram Bergen (1936-1946), V. Nickel (1938-1960), W. Zacharias (1950-1954), J. Friesen (1946-1958), Cornelius Kehler (1952-1964), Hans Dyck (1962-1967), Elwin Epp (1969-1972), Ruben Siemens (1973-1982), Stan Martens (1984-1985), Ken Schrag (1987-1990), Fred Heese (1968-1972, 1975-?), Ray and Sylvia Friesen (2004-2018).  The congregation voted to close on 20 May 2018, and the final service took place on 28 October 2018.

Scope and content note

This fonds contains bulletins (1957-1986), directories (1978-1983), annual reports (1979-1984, 1997-2016) congregational meeting minutes (1975-1985), church council minutes (1997-2016), constitutions ([196-?], 1978), membership and family registers and other register documents ([19-]-2018), a brief congregational history (1954), congregational statistics (1928-1959), and financial records (1939-1944). The records pertain to the Mennonite congregation in Wymark, Saskatchewan.

Finding aids

Inventory file list available.

Notes

Language

Some German.

Accession numbers

        2009-024, 2020-001, 2023-028

Related materials

See student papers collection: "The History of the Emmaus Mennonite Church of Swift Current and South" (1961) by Ernie Sawatsky. (MHC Vertical File).

Restrictions on access

Some restrictions apply.

Other notes

Textual records were deposited by the congregation and Mary Loewen in 1996 at the Mennonite Heritage Centre. Described by Bert Friesen 4 February 2002, updated by Conrad Stoesz May 1, 2009, updated by Alf Redekopp, 21 June 2012, Andrew Klassen Brown in June 2020, and Conrad Stoesz May 26, 2023.

Emmaus Mennonite Church fonds file list:

Volume 61

1. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1957-1959), First Mennonite Church bulletin (1960), Zion Mennonite Church bulletins (1960)
2. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1968)
3. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1969)
4. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1970)
5. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1972)
6. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1973)
7. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1974)
8. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1975)
9. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1976)
10. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1977)
11. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1978), directory (1978)
12. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1979), annual reports (1979)
13. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1980), directory (1980), annual reports (1980), congregational meeting minutes (1980)
14. Emmaus Mennonite Church constitutions ([196-?], 1978), annual reports including congregational meeting minutes (1975-1983)
15. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1981), congregational meeting minutes (1981), annual reports (1981)
16. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1982), annual reports (1982)
17. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1983), congregational meeting minutes (1983), directory (1983)
18. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1984), annual reports (1983), congregational meeting minutes (1984), annual reports (1984).
19. Emmaus Mennonite Church annual general meeting minutes. -- 1976.

Volume 2958

1. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1985), congregational meeting minutes (1985), annual reports (1984)
2. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (1986)
3. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (2007)
4. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (2008)
5. Emmaus Mennonite Church bulletins (2009)

Volume 3357

4. Emmaus Mennonite Church register documents ([19-])
5. Emmaus Mennonite Church register documents (1926-1984)
6. Emmaus Mennonite Church register and Kidron Mennonite Church register (1930-1940)
7. Emmaus Mennonite Church register (1928-1954), a brief congregational history (1954), congregational statistics (1928-1959), financial records (1939-1944).