Hamilton Mennonite Church

Title: Hamilton Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of creation: 1961-2010

Physical description: 40 cm of textual records

Administrative history: The Hamilton Mennonite congregation, located at 143 Lower Horning Road, Hamilton, Ontario,  began services in 1952, and formally organized in 1956. The first building was occupied in 1954 with a new building in 1965. A subsequent building program followed in 1991. Gerhard Peters is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through urbanization from rural Ontario in 1952 and earlier outreach by the Conference of Mennonites in Canada

The congregation has been affiliated with the Conference of United Mennonite Churches in Ontario (1959-1988), the Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1963-), the General Conference Mennonite Church (1965-1999) and Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada (1988-). The language of worship is English; language transition from German occurred in the 1950s.

The leaders of the congregation have been: Gerhard & Justina Peters (1952-1962), Herman & Estelle Enns (1962-1974), Gary & Elizabeth Gerber (1975-1983), Eleanor and David Epp-Stobbe (1985-1991), David Epp-Stobbe (1991-1996), Julianna and Philip Bender (1997-2004), Ardith Frey (Interim, 2004/2005), Steve Schumm (August 2005-2009), Glyn Jones (Interim, 2009/10), Alissa Bender (2010- )

Custodial history: Periodic donations have been made by the congregation to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario

Scope and content: There are four series: Formal records, Informal records, Church bulletins and Newsletter.

Notes: Original description created April 2004 by Sam Steiner.
For photographs related to this congregation search the Mennonite Archival Image Database.
For sound recordings related to this congregation, see Hist.Mss.9.25. 
Further materials related to this congregation may be found by searching the Archives.
An encyclopedia entry for this congregation may be found in GAMEO.

File list:

Series 1: Formal Records

1. Annual reports 
   1967-1971, 1973-1985, 1990-1991, 1994, 2002-2022
2. Congregational meeting minutes
   1969, 1976. 1989-1995, 2002-2003, 2006-2020
3. Church Council minutes
   1965, 1967 (scattered), 2002-2004, 2006-2016, 2018-2022
4. Trustee minutes
   May 5, 1961
5. Directories
   1972, 1974-1975, 1976/77-1977/78,
   1989-1992, 1996-1997
   2001, 2006, 2010
6. Constitution
   1984

Series 2: Informal Records

1. Celebrate, 1952-1977 (2 copies of congregational history); Hamilton Mennonite Church, 50th anniversary, 1952-2002
2. Occupancy permit for 143 Lower Horning Rd., November 1965
3. Publicity brochure
4. Misc. sermons, notes from membership Sundays (Herman Enns files, 1970s)
5. Documents re: Pastoral Internship program, 1973
6. Correspondence
7. Special programs
   1977 (Herman Enns Memorial Service)
   2002 (50th anniversary service)

Series 3: Bulletins

1962-1992, 1996-2019, 2022

Series 4: Newsletter

1989-1992, 1993 (incomplete)

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