St. Catharines United Mennonite Church

Title: St. Catharines United Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of creation: 1967-1984

Physical description: 12 cm of textual records

Administrative history: The church is located at 335 Linwell Rd., St. Catharines, ON, L2M 7M7.

The congregation began services in 1942, and formally organized in 1945 by 16-18 families who had moved to the city or settled on neighboring fruit farms. The first building was occupied in 1945, with subsequent building programs in 1949 and 1967. The congregation originated through urbanization from Leamington, Niagara and Vineland.

Wilhelm Schellenberg from the Leamington area is considered the founding leader of the group, and served as the pastor until 1950.

The congregation has been affiliated withe Conference of United Mennonite Church of Ontario (1944-88), Conference of Mennonites in Canada (1946-), General Conference Mennonite Church (1947-) and Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada (1988-). The language of worship is English and German; the transition from German occurred in the 1960s.

Leading ministers since 1942 have included Wilhelm Schellenberg (1942-1949), Frank Andres (1950-1951), Peter Heinrichs (1952-1959), Henry P. Epp (1959-1968, 1976-1981, part of 1983), Norman Bergen (1969-1975), Otto Dirks (1981-1983), John R. Friesen (1984-1991), Jack Dyck (1991-    ) 

In 1950 there were 164 members; in 1965, 455; in 1975, 655; in 1985, 679; in 1995, 545.

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

Scope and Content: There are three series: Formal records, Informal records and Church bulletins

Notes:
For photographs related to this congregation search the Mennonite Archival Image Database.
An encyclopedia entry for this congregation may be found in GAMEO
​For further information see:  The St. Catharines United Mennonite Church 50th anniversary (St. Catharines : The Church, 1995)
See also the St. Catharines United Mennonite Church choir recordings.
Original archival description created March 2000 by Sam Steiner

File list:

Series 1: Formal records

1. Annual reports, 1973-1983, 1985
2. Directories, 1970, 1974, 1976-1982, late 1980s?
3. Home Mission Circle
   1. Watermelon and Rollkuchen Committee (Relief Sale), 1983-2009
   Custodial history: Received with files from the Relief Sale in 2023

Series 2: Informal records

1.  Dedication service, 1967

Series 3: Church bulletins

1976 (incomplete)
1977-1984
1985-1986 (scattered) 
April 1989-1996
March 1997-1998 (incomplete)