Warden Woods Mennonite Church

Classification scheme:

III-41

Title: Warden Woods Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of creation: 1954-
Note: Further accruals are expected.

Physical description: 90 cm of textual records

Administrative history: The Warden Woods Mennonite Church in Scarborough, Ontario began services in 1937, and formally organized in 1951. It is located at 74 Fir Valley Court, Scarborough. The first building was occupied in 1952, with a subsequent building program in 1970. Emerson McDowell is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through outreach by Danforth Mennonite Church.

Warden Woods was formerly known as Warden Park Mennonite Church. It began as a Sunday school outreach of Danforth Mennonite Church. It became independent of Danforth in 1951. John H. Hess was the long time pastor of the congregation beginning in 1955. A variety of community programs were operated at the Warden Woods Community Centre, which had a connection to the congregation until 1985.

In 1950 there were 19 members; in 1965, 53; in 1975, 80; in 1985, 116; in 1995, 115; in 2000, 103. The congregation has been affiliated with the Mennonite Conference of Ontario and Quebec (1951-88), Mennonite Church (1951-1999), Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (1988-) and the Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1995-). The language of worship is English.

Pastors at Warden Woods included Ernest Ford, Harold Brown (lay leaders) and non-resident pastors (1948-1955), John H. Hess (1955-1986), Connie Zehr (Assistant, 1981-1988), Muriel Bechtel (1988-2000), Martha Smith Good (2000-2005), Johanna Wall (2005- )

Danforth Gardens Community Church was an outreach effort by Warden Woods Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Mission Board of Ontario. It began as a Sunday school and developed as a church. In the later years it administered its own program. The work closed in 1974.

Custodial history: Periodic donations have been made by the church.

Note: Original description created September 2008 by Sam Steiner

File list:
There are four series: Formal Records, Informal Records, Bulletins, and Danforth Gardens Community Church

Series 1: Formal records

  1. Annual reports (with financial reports)
    1959-1965, 1967, 1969
    1970-1992, 1995-2009
  2. Church/Coordinating Council and Congregational meeting minutes
    1957-1998, 2001-2006, 2009
  3. Marriage Registers
    1950-1955
    1955-1973
  4. Financial statements (prior to 1960)
    1954-1960
    Receipts & Disbursements book, 1960-1964
  5. Sunday School/Christian Education Committee 
    Sunday School Attendance and Offering Record, 1956-1960 
    Misc. minutes, programs and lists, 1956-1986, 2001
  6. Care Team Minutes
    1995, 1997-2001
  7. Worship Committee
    1995-2003
  8. Women's Mission and Service Auxiliary (WMSA) 
    Minutes, 1956-1981 
  9. Congregational Directories 
    1975-1979, 1981-1987, 1989 
    1998
  10. Social Issues Committee 
    1984-1990
  11. Pastoral Search Committees
    1986-1988 Includes (Leadership Needs Assessment) 
    Profile of Warden Woods Mennonite Church, 1987
    2005 (Incomplete)
  12. Congregational Discernment Steering Committee
    2005-2006
  13. Torchbearers Club Records
    1956-1961
  14. Legal Documents
    Charitable Registration, 1967
    Name Change, 1982
    Correspondence on marriage license; recognition for chaplaincy, etc.
  15. Membership Transfer Letters, etc.
    1950s-1980s
  16. Job Descriptions, etc. 
    1968, 1979 for Pastor and Associate Minister
  17. Leadership Discernment
    1998-1999
  18. Vacation/Community Bible School
    1951-1946, 1987
  19. Steering Committee [Restricted; stored separately] 
    Minutes, correspondence, 1995-1997
  20. Review of Congregation 2008 
  21. Congregational profile
    1987

Series 2 : Informal records

  1. Special Programs
  2. Newsclippings
  3. Historical items
    Like a Grain of Mustard Seed: a History of the Warden Park Mennonite Church / Mary I. Groh, 1977
  4. Anniversary memorabilia
    Guestbook, Oct. 16, 1977
  5. Correspondence re: 46 Scotia Building
    1951-1955
  6. Worship Manual
    1992
  7. Correspondence, 1989-1992

Series 3 : Bulletins/Worship Schedule

1955-1981 (incomplete), 1983-2003, 2005​-2008, June 2009

Series 4 : Danforth Gardens Community Church

  1. Correspondence & minutes 
    1957-1975
  2. Financial reports
    1964-1973
  3. Cashbook
    1958-1972
  4. Bulletins/Meeting notices
    1957-1973 (incomplete)

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