(Old) Mennonite Church

Classification scheme:

The Old Mennonite Church was composed of district conferences organized by descendants of nineteenth century Swiss-South German Mennonite and Amish immigrants to North America. Participating conferences were: Allegheny, Atlantic Coast, Conservative, Franconia, Franklin, Gulf States, Illinois, Indiana-Michigan, Iowa-Nebraska, Lancaster, Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada, New York State Fellowship, North Central, Northwest, Ohio, Southwest and Virginia.

From 1898 until 1971 most district conferences participated in Mennonite General Conference, an advisory and consultative body of the Mennonite Church.

Following an extensive study process in the 1960s the district conferences re-organized in a Mennonite General Assembly, a structure formally approved at a Constitutional and General Assembly held at Kitchener, Ontario, on 16-19 August 1971. The assembly was made up of congregational delegates proportionately representing participating conferences. It met bienially. The work of the general assembly was carried forward by an executive secretary and board and agency secretaries who, together with regional conference representatives, made up a general board.

In 1999 the Mennonite Church merged with the General Conference Mennonite Church and the Conference of Mennonites in Canada. Out of this union emerged the Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada.

For further reference see Beulah Stauffer Hostetler. "Mennonite Church (MC)." Mennonite Encyclopedia, V:564-67.

I - Mennonite Church (MC) fonds

1. Printed reports

1. Reports
2. Programs

2. Administrative Committees

    1.    Executive Committee
        1.    Secretary's reports
        2.    Treasurer's reports
        3.    Chairperson's reports

2. General Council (prior to 1981)

3. General Board (1981-1999)

4. Council on Faith, Life and Strategy

    5.    Assembly Arrangements Committee
        1.    Minutes, correspondence
        2.    Nominating Committee

6. Coordinating Committee

3. Standing Committees/Boards

1. Historical Committee of the Mennonite Church

2. Peace Problems Committee of the Mennonite Church

2a. Peace Problems Committee of the Mennonite Church, Canadian Section

3. Mennonite Commission for Christian Education and Young People's Work

    4.    Mennonite Board of Missions
        1-16.    Early records
        17.    Health & Welfare Committee

18. 1-w Council; CPS Council

19. Facilities Study Committee

20. Home Missions Committee

21. Overseas Missions Committee

22. Relief and Service Committee

23. Mennonite Broadcasts

24. Student and Young Adult Services. Note: Student Services Newsletter is located in the library.

25. Board of Director's/Members' meetings

26. Communication Committee

27. Personnel Committee

28. Legal and Finance Committee

29. Salary Policy Advisory Committee

30. Administration and Resources Divisional Committee

31. Church Relations Committee

32. Annual business meeting minutes

    5.    Mennonite Board of Education
        1.    Annual reports
        2.    Minutes
        3.    Other reports
        4.    Sub-committees reporting to Board
        5.    Correspondence and notes

6. Publication Board
7. General Problems Committee

8. Committee on Industrial Relations

9. Worship Committee

10. Board of Congregational Ministries

11. Not used

12. Ministerial Committee

13. Church Welfare Committee

4. Ad hoc Committees

    1.    Lay Worker Status
    2.    Sunday school Convention
    3.    Study Commission on Church Organization
    4.    Task Force on Litigation

5. Mennonite Church Canada/Region 1, 1971-1997

Administrative history: Region I was one of five regions formed with the 1971 Mennonite Church reorganization. It included congregations and conferences in Canada that belonged to the Mennonite Church. The Coordinating/Planning Committee for Region I consisted of representatives from the Northwest Mennonite Conference, Mennonite Conference of Ontario, and Western Ontario Mennonite Conference. It functioned as a channel of communication between Mennonite Church agencies and the Canadian constituency, Canadian governments, and other Christian bodies in Canada. It facilitated Canadian programs authorized by the constituency, and provided for transfer of funds to the Mennonite Church.

In 1988, in response to recommendations from Revenue Canada, Mennonite Church and Mennonite Church Canada formed Mennonite Church International to handle the transfer of Canadian funds to Mennonite Church agencies located in the United States. In 1997, the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church joined Mennonite Church International. Mennonite Church Canada, its purpose now redundant, then ceased to exist. This body is not to be confused with Mennonite Church Canada, formed in 2001.

    1.    Minutes, 1971-1990
Note: Includes constitutions and job descriptions for Mennonite Church Canada. Correspondence is interfiled with minutes beginning in 1980.
    2.    Correspondence, 1971-1979
Note: Also includes a file of undated correspondence, a file on correspondence re the Urban Concerns statement, correspondence from the Mennonite Radio and Television Council, and a Media Ministries manual from 1982.
    3.    Audiovisual Library
    4.    Choice Books (See also Inter-Mennonite Conference (Ontario))
    5.    Inter-Church Committee (Wider Ecumenical Fellowship discussions, 1980-1981)
6. Mennonite Church International, 1988-2000
7. Revenue Canada correspondence, 1987-1988

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