Baden Mennonite Church (Baden, ON)

Title: Baden Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of creation: 1914-1977

Physical description: 48 cm of textual material; 1 photograph

Administrative history: A frame church building was erected in the town of Baden in 1913 by Peter Moyer, a member of the Steinmann Amish Mennonite congregation. Baden was a mission post until 1945. Beginning in 1930 a minister was supplied by the Mennonite Mission Board of Ontario (Noah Hunsberger, Newton S. Weber). In 1940 it was agreed that the Sunday-school staff should be supplied by First Mennonite Church. In 1945 Baden organized as a formal congregation of the Mennonite Conference of Ontario. James Martin was the first pastor. Subsequent pastors were Urie Bender, Elmer Grove, Arnold Cressman and David Groh.

The congregation remained small in terms of membership , but held a very large Vacation Bible School program, with up to 300 pupils a year.

In 1966 Pastor David Groh left. Lester Bauman, pastor of the Geiger congregation, was invited to serve Baden as well. Many activities were then held jointly with Geiger. In 1971 Stanley Shantz served as pastor of both. The two congregations agreed to have Sunday services together, using the Geiger building because it was larger. In 1975 the congregations agreed to become one in all but name and membership. In late 1975 the Geiger building burned, and services were held in a renovated Baden building.

In September 1977 the congregations merged and became the Wilmot Mennonite Church at the Geiger location. In 1979 a new building was erected at the Geiger site.

Custodial history: Accessions from the Baden congregation have been received at various undocumented times.

Note: Original archival description created by Sam Steiner.

File list:

Series 1: Formal records

1. Membership book, 1945-1977
2. Marriage register, 1951-1974
3. Minutes of "Committee appointed to take charge of work at Baden," 1918-1927
4. Reports of mission meetings, 1914-1921
5. Annual business meeting, 1942, 1947-1970
6. Annual business meeting reports, 1958, 1962-1965
   Note: Includes constitution, Oct 1965
7. Church Council minutes, 1961-1972 (later joint Baden-Geiger minutes are kept with Wilmot Mennonite Church collection (III-14))
8. Twilight Hour Circle minutes, 1955-57; loose minutes from earlier in the 1950s?
9. Twilight Hour Circle minutes, 1961/62
10.     Sunday school record book, includes attendance records for 1929-1933, Sunday schoolfinancial records for 1929-1934, Baden Mission business meetings, 1934-1939 and mission financial records, 1934-1940
11.     Sunday school attendance book, 1934-1939
12.     Slate of Sunday school officers, 1955/56, 1957/58, 1962/63
13.     Cash book for Sunday school, 1949-1961
14.     Cash book for mission, 1916-1919
15.     Young People's Bible Meeting cash book, 1944-1961
16.     Baden Mission cash book, 1940-1949
17.     General account book, 1945-1962
18.     Building permits, 1956

Series 2: Informal records

1. German-language Bibel owned by Peter Moyer, 1890
2. English-language Bible owned by Peter Moyer, n.d.
3. Correspondence concerning the mission, 1932-1934
4. Loose-leaf history of the congregation compiled by Jonas Ramer (?)
5. Loose-leaf Vacation Bible school attendance records, 1953-1964
6. Sunday school picture cards, 1959
7. Misc. programs from 1915-1930s
8. Misc. special programs for 1950s-1970s
9. Sunday evening service programs, 1955-1966
10.     1934 Vacation Bible School photograph

Series 3: Bulletins

Note: Beginning in mid-1960s these files also contain annual meeting materials

1. 1957-1959
2. 1960-1961
3. 1962-1963
4. 1964-1965
5. 1966-1967
6. 1968-1969
7. 1970-1971
8. 1972-1973
9. 1974-1975
10.     1976

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