Hawkesville Mennonite Church (Hawkesville, ON)

Title: Hawkesville Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of creation: 1949-2020
Note: Further accruals are expected.

Physical description: 1.02 m of textual records

Administrative history: Hawkesville is located along the Conestogo River west of St. Jacobs. It was first settled in 1839; a plan for a town was designed in 1856. In 1868 the Presbyterians built a church in the town. In 1925, after the merger of the Presbyterian and Methodist denominations, the church became part of the United Church of Canada. The building, at 15 Martha Street, was occupied by this denomination until 1946.

The St. Jacobs Mennonite Church was considering expansion of its building in 1948, but also considered the alternative of planting a new congregation in the Hawkesville if support was available. The building was purchased for $100 from the United Church, and renovations were undertaken. Dedication services for the renovated facility and new congregation were held on January 1, 1950.

The congregation affiliated with the Mennonite Conference of Ontario in 1950, the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada in 1988 and the Conference of Mennonites in Canada in 1995.

Pastoral leaders since 1950 have included Paul Martin (1950-1962); Clifford Snider (1962-1965); Simeon Hurst (1965-1971); S. David Garber (1971-1982); Gordon Martin (Interim, 1982-1983); Gary Knarr (1983-1990); Don Penner (1990-2001), Herb & Shirley Schultz (Interim, 2001/2003), Maurice Martin (Interim, 2003), Perry Bartel (2003-2013), Erv Wiens (Interim, 2013-2015), Paul Dyck (2015- )

In 1950 there were 86 members; in 1965, 132; in 1975, 179; in 1985, 169; in 1995, 157; in 2000, 138.

Custodial history: The congregation has made periodic donations to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario

Scope and content: The fonds ins arranged in four series: Formal records, Informal records, Church bulletins and Newsletters

Notes: Description originally created December 1999 by Sam Steiner.
For further information see: Mabel Snyder, 25th anniversary: Hawkesville Mennonite Church (Hawkesville : The Church, 1974).
See also: Worship service tapes in Sound Recordings -- Worship Services
Related photographs are located in Hist.Mss. 10: Photographs and Slides.

File list:

Series 1: Formal records

1. Members meeting minutes, 1949-1971, 2010-2012 (including church retreat minutes, 17 Apr 2010), 2014
2. Church Council/Administrative Committee minutes
   1959-1966
   1966-1974
   1975-1980, 1984
   1985-1997, 2003 (includes annual reports and minutes)
   2009-Apr 2012, 2013 (annual meeting minutes only)
3. Indenture, August 22, 1949 (sale of building to Hawkesville Mennonite Church (Copy))
4. List of charter members, 1950 (Copy)
5. Pastoral review materials, 1970s
6. Stewardship Committee minutes, 1965-1974
7. Sunday school reorganization, 1950-1970
8. Sunday school Executive minutes, 
   1950-1973
   1984-1988
9. Congregational directory, 
   1973-1978, 
   1982, 1983, 1986, 1988, 
   1993
10. Goals and guidelines of the Hawkesville Mennonite Church, 1982; Action planning worksheet, fall 2003
11. Layout of underground piping around church (1981); community cemetery addition
12. WMSC, 1951-1984, 2008-2011
13. WMSC report forms to conference, 1963-1976
14. Cash book - receipts and disbursements, 1949-1960
15. Cash book - offerings and disbursements, 1950-1960
16. Cash book - receipts and disbursements, 1960-1970
17. Senior Sewing Circle records
    1950-1959
    1960-1978
    Cash books, 1950-1981
18. Evening Star Sewing Circle secretary's book, 1956-1967
19. Evening Star Sewing Circle financial records, 1956-1971
20. Flowers of Faith Sewing Circle records, 1959-1974 (6 books)
21. Junior Sewing Circle, 1950-1955
22. Junior Girls Sewing Circle records, 1952-1956, 1964-1968
23. Busy Beaver Sewing Circle records, (financial), 1956-1966
24. Mennonite Youth Fellowship, financial records, 1951-1959
25. Sunday evening service offering records, 1951-1960
26. Slate committee, 2005-2010

Series 2: Informal records

1. Misc. programmes, offering schedules, wedding/funeral bulletins, 1950ff
2. Church historian's notes, 1950-1962 (includes programme from 1950 dedication service)
3. Receipts related to building program, 1951-1958
4. News clippings related to congregation, 1950-
5. Misc. correspondence, 1973ff (includes David Garber ordination)
6. Mabel Snyder, 25th anniversary, Hawkesville Mennonite Church (2 copies)
7. Fifthieth anniversary materials, 2000
8. Congregational profile, 2000

Series 3: Church bulletins

1956 (one issue), 1960 (one issue), 1962 (one issue), 1963-2008 (not complete), 2009, Apr 2010 - 2022

Series 4: Newsletter

Hawkesville connection, 1973-1992