Tavistock Mennonite Church (Tavistock, ON)

Title: Tavistock Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of creation: 1943-2009
Note: Further accruals are expected

Physical description: 1.4 m of textual records

Administrative history: This congregation was formed in 1942 by the East Zorra Amish Mennonite Church. East Zorra was becoming overcrowded, and a number of members lived in the town of Tavistock. For almost eight years the new congregation met in a Presbyterian Church; it completed its own building in 1950, located at 131 Wettlaufer Street. A major renovation was completed in 1998.

Custodial history: Accessions have been received from time to time, with some materials coming almost annually.

Scope and content: Formal and informal records of the congregation, bulletins and newsletters.

Notes: See also Tavistock related items in Sound Recordings and Video Recordings. Any photographs related to this congregation can be found in Hist.Mss.10.
For further information see Fred Lichti, A history of the East Zorra Amish Mennonite Church (Tavistock, Ont. : The Church, 1977) and Wray L. Bender and D. Catherine Bender, A history of the Tavistock Mennonite Church, 1992).
Original description created December 1998 by Sam Steiner.

Series 1: Formal records

Vol. 1 - Early

1.  Historian's records, 1972-1992
2.  Annual meeting minute book, 1964-1973 (minutes from 1963/64 re: division of church structures from East Zorra Mennonite Church laid in)
3.  Sunday school Treasurer's book, 1943-1970/71
4.  Young People's Bible Meeting Treasurer's book, 1964-1979
5.  Tavistock Sewing Circle Book, 1953-1955
6.  Tavistock Sewing Circle Book, 1956-1958
7.  Summer Bible School record, 1951

Vol. 2  - Church Council (1964-), Commissions and Annual Meetings
Note: file numbers in this list differ from file numbers on folders.

1. Church Council minutes
   1964-1994
2. Church Council/Administrative Council, annual and congregational meeting minutes, 1995-2023
   Note: Includes ad hoc re-entry committee minutes, 2020
3. Annual meeting reports and/or minutes, 1964, 1967-1971, 1973-1994 (see #2 above for later reports/minutes)
4. Worship Commission / Word & Worship Ministries, 1979-2009, 2010 (some missing), 2011-2023
5. Facilities Review Committee, 1993-1995
6. Mission & Service Commission / Witness and Service, 1987-2001, 2003-2023
7. Finance Commission / Finance & Administration, 1987-2009, 2011-2015, 2017, Apr 2021
8. Education and Nurture Commission, 1987-2005
9. Fellowship Commission, 1988-1992, 1996-1999
10. Congregational profile, 1988, 1994
11. Anniversary Committee, 1991
12. Pastoral Review, 1998
13. Ministerial Committee, 1977-1978
14. Committee to Study Growth, 1975-1978
15. Young Adult census, 1982, 1988
16. Elders, 2002
17. Personnel, 2005
18. Handbook for Church Organization, 2006
19. Refugee Support Group, 2015
20. Women's groups
    Willing Workers, 1963-1969
    Senior WMSA, 1967-1977
    WMSC/GMSA, 1962-Aug 1982
21. Scheduling committee for nursing homes, 1969-1982
22. Congregational structures
23. Vision and Action Team, 2013, 2015, 2016
24. Vacation Bible School, 2010, 2012, 2017
25. Ad hoc re-entry committee, 2020-
    Note: contains meeting minutes regarding COVID-19 safety measures
26. Policies and procedures, 2016

Series 2: Informal records, books, memorabilia

Vol. 1

1.  Alvin Ramseyer, "History of the Tavistock Mennonite Church," 1972
2.  Wray L. Bender and D. Catherine Bender, A history of the Tavistock Mennonite Church 1942-1992 (Tavistock, Ont. : The Church, 1992)
3.  50^th anniversary celebrations June 5-7, 1992 (Videotape - VHS format)
4.  Church directories, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2018
5.  Das Neue Testament (Berlin, 1914) (Mrs. Solomon M. Bender's copy)
6.  J. H. Ingreham, Der F?st aus Davids Hause (Konstanz : Karl Hirsch) (Fanny Bender's copy)
7.  Das Neue Testament (C?n, 1885)
8. 75th anniversary celebrations, 2017
9. Gordon Bauman, "Connecting Through Stories," March 2015

Vol. 2 - Scrapbooks

1. 50^th anniversary scrapbook of families, 1992
2. Album of families, 1981
3. Congregational guest book, 1969-1998
4. Historian's books, 1959-1992, 1992-1993, 1993-1994, 1994-1995, 1995-1996, 2009-2022
   Note: Contains news clippings of people related to the congregation.

Series 3: Bulletins

1950-2022

Series 4: Newsletter

1. T.M.C. Church Chat, 1994-1995
2. Calendars, 2007-2009, 2010 (partial), 2011-2013
3. The Dwelling Place, 2013-Nov.2020