Explore our holdings

The archives collects, preserves, and makes available the recorded experience of Mennonites, Amish, and other related groups in Ontario. Our growing collection consists of 780 linear meters of personal, congregational, and institutional records in a multitude of formats.

The archives is the official depository for Conrad Grebel University College, Mennonite Central Committee (Ontario) and Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC). We are also the primary archives for MCEC congregations.

You will notice that unlike library collections which are often organized by subject or author, archival records are usually organized by the creator (individual or group) that generated them.

The organizational scheme employed by the Archives were derived by that developed at the Archives of the Mennonite Church (Goshen, Indiana) by Melvin Gingerich, longtime archivist at that facility. He assisted in the early formation of the Mennonite Archives of Ontario.

Note that although we are making progress, not all our collections have full descriptions online. Contact the archivist for more information.

Archives Collection Summary -
Manuscript Collections

1. Personal collections

2. Genealogical manuscripts

3. News clippings

4. Scrapbooks and Autograph books

5. Cemetery records, etc.

6. Missionary letters

7. Biographies

8. Maps and charts

9. Sound recordings

10. Slide sets

11. Microfilms

12. Local histories

13. Student papers

14. Academic papers (unpublished)

15. Letter collections (correspondence)

16. Interview transcriptions

17. Diaries

18. Bibliographies (unpublished)

19. Architectural Drawings

20. Sound recordings (CD/Digital)

21. Legal documents

22. Oral history projects

23. Visual Arts

24. Pennsylvania German folk life & language materials

25. Singing school materials

26. Video Recordings (VHS, DVD, etc.)

27. Electronic Manuscripts
28. Christian Education pictorial materials

Archives Collections Summary -
Archival Collections

I. Mennonite Church (MC)

II. Mennonite Conference of Ontario (& Quebec)(MCOQ)
III. MCOQ Congregations

IV. Western Ontario Mennonite Conference (Ontario Amish Mennonite)
V. Western Ontario Mennonite Conference Congregations

VI. Other Canadian MC Congregations

VII. Conservative Mennonite Conferences

VIII.1 Old Order Mennonites
VIII.2 Markham-Waterloo Mennonite Conference
VIII.3 Orthodox Mennonite Church
VIII.4 Daniel Brubacher Group

IX. Old Order Amish
IX-1. Beachy Amish Mennonites
IX-2. Amish Mennonite congregations (variously affiliated)

X. General Conference Mennonite Church
XI. General Conference Mennonite Church District Conferences in U.S.
XII. Conference of Mennonites in Canada

XIII.1 United Mennonite Conference of Ontario
XIII.2 United Mennonite Conference of Ontario congregations

XIV.1 Mennonite Central Committee
XIV.2 Mennonite Central Committee Canada
XIV.3 Mennonite Central Committee Ontario

XV. Mennonite Organizations and Institutions

XVI. Brethren in Christ Church
XVII. Mennonite Brethren Church
XVIII. Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church
XIX-1. Hutterite Brethren
XIX-2. Community Farm of the Brethren
XX. Low German Mennonites
XXI. Krimmer Mennonite Brethren
XXII. Evangelical Mennonite Missionary Church
XXIII. Evangelical Mennonite Brethren
XXIV. Evangelical Mennonite Conference
XXV. Cultural and Genealogical Organizations
XXV.1 Pennsylvania German Folklore Society of Ontario
 

XXVI. Conrad Grebel University College

XXVII. House Churches (Moved to III-67)
XXVIII. Inter-Mennonite Conference (Ontario)

XXIX. Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada (MCEC)
XXX. MCEC Congregations

XXXI. Mennonite Church Canada

XXXII. Reformed Mennonite Church

L. South American Mennonites

C. Prussian Mennonites

D. Russian Mennonites

M. European Mennonites

MD. Asian Mennonites

MM. Australian Mennonites