Waters Mennonite Church (Lively, ON)

Classification scheme:

XIII-2-14

Title: Waters Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of creation: 1940-2009
Note: Further accruals are expected.

Physical description: 10 cm of textual records

Administrative history: The Waters Mennonite congregation at 540 Regional Road 55, Lively, Ontario began services in 1948, and formally organized in 1959. The first building was occupied in 1955 with a subsequent building program in 1963. Thomas Martin and Mahlon Bast are considered the founding leaders of the group. The congregation originated through outreach by the Ontario Mennonite Mission Board and individuals.

Originally the church was sponsored by the Mennonite Conference of Ontario (Mennonite Church) but later came under the administration of the United Mennonites (General Conference Mennonite Church). The original membership came from six different church groups.

In 1965 there were 33 members; in 1975, 57; in 1985, 53; in 1995, 53; in 2000, 46. The congregation has been affiliated with the Conference of United Mennonite Churches of Ontario (1959-1988), Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1960-), General Conference Mennonite Church (1959-1999) and Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (1988- ). The language of worship is English. Minister Dave Nicol served in 2008 as congregational leader.

Custodial history: Materials were donated to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario at an undocumented time.

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

Notes: Original description created September 2008 by Sam Steiner

Series 1: Formal records

Annual meeting and report,
1996, 1999, 2006-2013

Series 2: Informal records

Correspondence,
1957-1962 (by and to Menno Ediger)
Newsclippings
1959, 1963
Architectural drawings
1963
"A History of the Waters Mennonite Church" / Karen Salo, 1976. 59 pp.; "Casting our bread : the history of Waters Mennonite Church" [draft manuscript]/ Waters' Writers Collective, 2009.--A published copy is located in the Milton Good Library.