Warden Woods Mennonite Church

Classification scheme:

III-41

Title: Warden Woods Mennonite Church fonds

Dates of creation: 1954-
Note: Further accruals are expected.

Physical description: 90 cm of textual records

Administrative history: The Warden Woods Mennonite Church in Scarborough, Ontario began services in 1937, and formally organized in 1951. It is located at 74 Fir Valley Court, Scarborough. The first building was occupied in 1952, with a subsequent building program in 1970. Emerson McDowell is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through outreach by Danforth Mennonite Church.

Warden Woods was formerly known as Warden Park Mennonite Church. It began as a Sunday school outreach of Danforth Mennonite Church. It became independent of Danforth in 1951. John H. Hess was the long time pastor of the congregation beginning in 1955. A variety of community programs were operated at the Warden Woods Community Centre, which had a connection to the congregation until 1985.

In 1950 there were 19 members; in 1965, 53; in 1975, 80; in 1985, 116; in 1995, 115; in 2000, 103. The congregation has been affiliated with the Mennonite Conference of Ontario and Quebec (1951-88), Mennonite Church (1951-1999), Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (1988-) and the Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1995-). The language of worship is English.

Pastors at Warden Woods included Ernest Ford, Harold Brown (lay leaders) and non-resident pastors (1948-1955), John H. Hess (1955-1986), Connie Zehr (Assistant, 1981-1988), Muriel Bechtel (1988-2000), Martha Smith Good (2000-2005), Johanna Wall (2005- )

Danforth Gardens Community Church was an outreach effort by Warden Woods Mennonite Church and the Mennonite Mission Board of Ontario. It began as a Sunday school and developed as a church. In the later years it administered its own program. The work closed in 1974.

Custodial history: Periodic donations have been made by the church.

Note: Original description created September 2008 by Sam Steiner

File list:
There are four series: Formal Records, Informal Records, Bulletins, and Danforth Gardens Community Church

Series 1: Formal records

Annual reports (with financial reports)
1959-1965, 1967, 1969
1970-1992, 1995-2009
Church/Coordinating Council and Congregational meeting minutes
1957-1998, 2001-2006
Marriage Registers
1950-1955
1955-1973
Financial statements (prior to 1960)
1954-1960
Receipts & Disbursements book, 1960-1964
Sunday School/Christian Education Committee
Sunday School Attendance and Offering Record, 1956-1960
Misc. minutes, programs and lists, 1956-1986, 2001
Care Team Minutes
1995, 1997-2001
Worship Committee
1995-2003
Women's Mission and Service Auxiliary (WMSA)
Minutes, 1956-1981
Congregational Directories
1975-1979, 1981-1987, 1989
1998
Social Issues Committee
1984-1990
Pastoral Search Committees
1986-1988 Includes (Leadership Needs Assessment)
Profile of Warden Woods Mennonite Church, 1987
2005 (Incomplete)
Congregational Discernment Steering Committee
2005-2006
Torchbearers Club Records
1956-1961
Legal Documents
Charitable Registration, 1967
Name Change, 1982
Correspondence on marriage license; recognition for chaplaincy, etc.
Membership Transfer Letters, etc.
1950s-1980s
Job Descriptions, etc.
1968, 1979 for Pastor and Associate Minister
Leadership Discernment
1998-1999
Vacation/Community Bible School
1951-1946, 1987
Steering Committee [Restricted; stored separately]
Minutes, correspondence, 1995-1997
Review of Congregation 2008
Congregational profile
1987

Series 2 : Informal records

Special Programs
Newsclippings
Historical items
Like a Grain of Mustard Seed: a History of the Warden Park Mennonite Church / Mary I. Groh, 1977
Anniversary memorabilia
Guestbook, Oct. 16, 1977
Correspondence re: 46 Scotia Building
1951-1955
Worship Manual
1992
Correspondence, 1989-1992