Elmira Mennonite Church (Elmira, ON)

Title: Elmira Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of creation: 1919-2020
Note: Further accruals are expected.

Physical description: 1.9 m of textual records

Administrative history: Elmira Mennonite Church was planted by Floradale Mennonite Church. The lot was purchased in 1919 and the present brick building was erected in 1924. In 1976 the building was renovated and an extension was added. For further reference see Ken Bechtel, Three Score Years (Elmira: Elmira Mennonite Church, 1984).

Scope and content: Formal and informal records of the congregation and its activities

Custodial history: The congregation has made periodic donations to the archives

Notes: For photographs related to this congregation see the Mennonite Archival Image Database.
Audiovisual recordings related to this congregation are located in Video recordings.
Sound recordings are located in Worship services recordings.
Further information on this congregation can be found by searching the Archives.
Original description created February 2002 by Sam Steiner

Series 1: Formal records

Vol.1: Membership and committees

1. Membership
   List of founding members, 1955
   Membership Book, 1924-1964
2. Marriage registers, 1947-1986, 1986-2009
3. Sunday school re-organization book, 1948-1966/67
4. Annual meetings
   Minute books, 1919-1991
   Annual reports and minutes, 1968-1982, 1987, 1991-2008, 2010 (minutes only), 2011-2022
5. Constitutions and By-Law, 1969, 1974, 1997, 2011, 2013
6. Church Council/Executive Team/Team Leaders
   Minute books, 1959-1967
   Minutes (with some correspondence and ad-hoc committees), 1967-2022
7. Pastoral Supervisory Committee, 1980-1982
8. Education Commission/Faith Formation Team, 1984-1999, 2008-2011, 2013-2022
   Sunday School executive, 1981-1982
9. Missions Commission/Community Engagement Team, 1985-1999, 2008-2011, 2013-2022
10. Pastoral Care Commission, 1985-1999
11. Facilities/Property/Stewardship Committee, 1976 (notes on building project), 1988-1992, 1997, 1999, 2008-2011, 2013-2022
12. Worship and music
    Worship Commission/Worship Resource Team, 1986-2022
    Worship and Music Committee/Music Committee, 1980-1995
    Worship Team, 1992-2000
    Worship and Fellowship Commission, 1983-1992
    Sunday Evening Committee, 1989-1990
13. Gift Discernment Commission, 1985-1991, 1997, 2008-2010, 2013-2018
14. Vacation Bible School committee, 2009
15. Directories, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022-2023
16. Green Team minutes, 2011, 2015
17. Website Committee, 2015
18. Outreach Committee, 2015
19. Ad Hoc Safe Church Committee, 2018-2022
20. Statistics
    Congregational Information Form, 2002
    Yearbook reports, 1992-1995, 1997-2000
21. Board of Elders, 1969-1976
22. Social Committee, 1995-2002
23. Mennonite Tour Program, 1985-1986, 1992
    Note: This program operated out of Elmira with particiaption from other local Mennonite churches, offering educational tours of the local Mennonite community.
24. Living in Faithful Evangelism (LIFE) program, 1992-1993
25. Long range planning, 1986-1988

Vol. 2: [rearranged and integrated with Vol. 1 in 2021]

Vol. 3: Women's Organizations

1. Elmira Sewing Circle book, 1931-1937
2. Elmira Sewing Circle book, 1945-1949
3. Elmira Sewing Circle book, 1953-1957
4. Elmira Senior Auxiliary, 1957-1968
5. Elmira Senior Auxiliary, 1965-1970
6. Elmira Senior WMSA, 1966-1974
7. Elmira Busy Bees Sewing Circle, 1948-1965
8. Food Committee/Social Committee
   Kitchen logbook, 1957-1978
   Minutes and logs, 1970-1994
9. WMSC 1950-1955
10. WMSC 1955-1960
11. WMSA and Sharon Mission Circle re-organization reports, newsletters, 1960-2007
12. Girl's Club, 1985-1991
13. Misc. Materials relating to MCC Relief Sale and Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, 1970s
14. Sharon Mission Circle Records, 1954-1968, 1981-1988

Vol. 4: Financial records

1. Church Treasurer's book, 1925-1948, 1919-1955
   Note: Includes records of the church building project
2. Mission offering records, 1925-1957
3. General ledger, 1968-1972
4. Financial reports, 1952-1956, 1961; includes several annual meeting minutes

Vol. 5: Youth records

1. Junior Mennonite Youth Fellowship record book 1962-1967
2. Sunday school, Bible conference and Evangelistic service records, including "Eighth Annual Ontario Mennonite Sunday School Conference and Dedication Service held in the new Mennonite Church, Elmira, Ont. Aug. 31^st& Sept. 1^st, 1924", 1924-1935
3. Mennonite Youth Fellowship
   Minutes and correspondence, 1949-1969, 1982-2003
   Constitution, 1958

Return to ​Top

Series 2: Informal Records

Vol. 1

1. Misc. news clippings
2. Special dedication and anniversary programs, 1924, 1959, 1974, 1976
3. Anniversary photographs, 1974
4. Glenn Brubacher, "The frema Geisht: a study of the 1939 schism in the Woolwich Conference that ended in a merger with the Ontario Mennonite Conference," n.d.
5. Willard Martin, "A history of the Elmira Mennonite congregation," 1959
6. Jim Brubacher, "An examination of a recent schism in the Elmira Mennonite congregation (OMC)," 197?
7. Norman Snider, "Historical sketches," n.d.
8. Misc. programs and reports, 1928-
9. Photo directories, 1974, [1984?], 2013
10. Orvie & Adeline Horst, "Celebrating 75 years of worshipping God at Elmira Mennonite Church," November, 1999; Orvie Horst, "A kaleidoscopic view of the Mennonite Church in upper Woolwich Township," April 2000
    Note: includes list of bishops, pastors and deacons at Elmira
11. Special bulletins and publications for 75th anniversary, 1999
12. "Celebrating Seniors" -- short sketches of older members, ca. 2002
13. Oliver D. Snyder ordination document, 1909 & clipping from ordination as Bishop in 1936
14. Three Score Years by Ken Bechtel, 1984. (History of the congregation)

Series 3: Church bulletins

1948-2022