Calvary Church (Ayr, ON)

Title: Calvary Church Ayr (Mennonite) fonds

Dates of creation: 1961-

Physical description: 20 cm of textual records

Administrative history: The church is located at 173 Northumberland Street, Ayr, Ontario. The Mennonite work in Ayr began in 1954 as an outreach by the Mannheim Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Conference of Ontario. The congregation formally organized in 1961, the same year it obtained a building. There was a subsequent building program in 1990.

The founding pastor was Osaiah Horst, who was also the pastor at the Mannheim Mennonite Church. When Horst accepted a call to Toronto, Howard Schmitt became the pastor. The congregation has served as a community church in the Ayr community. Pastoral leadership has been provided by Osiah Horst, Howard Schmitt, Darrel Jantzi, Dan Burkholder, Tom Warner, James Sider, Reynold Kipfer, Bruce Sawatsky, Phil Wagler, Dennis Bells, Pat Murphy, Ardith Frey and Lloyd Oakey.

Calvary Church left Mennonite Church Eastern Canada on 30 June 2019. It became a campus of the Calvary Pentecostal Assembly based in Cambridge, Ontario. Calvary Church had limited participation in Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, and had considered other denominational options for several years.

Custodial history: Accessions have been received from time to time.

Scope and content: There are three series: Formal records, Informal records and Church Bulletins.

Note: Original description created by Sam Steiner 17 March 2008

See also the architectural drawings at Hist. Mss. 19.3.4 Also with the collection is a "time capsule" to be opened 4 November 2029

Series 1: Formal Records

1. Annual Reports
   1985, 1986, 2005/2006 (financial statement only), 2007, 2008, 2010/2011 (financial statement only), 2012/2013-2016/2017, 2018 (congregation meeting only)
2. Business Meeting Minutes
   1966-1973
3. Church Council minutes
   1963-1973, 1985/86
   1961-1977 (photocopy)
4. Membership Roll
   1961-1977
5. Bylaws 
   2004
6. Constitution
   1980
7. Congregational profiles
   1984, 1995, 2002, 2005

Series 2: Informal Records

1. Directory
   1996, 1997
2. Programs and Brochures
   Dedication service, December 3, 1961
   Installation - Howard Schmitt, 1964
   Installation - Reynold Kipfer, 1985 
   Misc. brochures
3. Misc. forms
4. "Favorite choruses of the Ayr Sunday School" / n.d.
5. Calendar
   2006
6. Clippings
7. Time capsule "to be opened November 4, 2029"

Series 3: Church bulletins

  October 1966-April 1974
  1975-1976
  June 1978-1979
  1981-1985
  1986-2006 (incomplete)
  2007, 2008-2014 (incomplete)

Series 4: Newsletter

Calvary Chronicle
Mar 2011-2016 (incomplete)