Canadian Mennonite Publishing Service

Title: Canadian Mennonite Publishing Serivce fonds

Dates of creation: 1970-2000

Physical description: 40 cm of textual records

Administrative history: The Canadian Mennonite Publishing Service (known as Mennonite Publishing Service until 2003) was established in 1971 as a successor to the Canadian Mennonite which had been published as an inter-Mennonite weekly in Altona, Manitoba by the Canadian Mennonite Association.

The Mennonite Publishing Service, a non-profit association which was formed by a group of Ontario Mennonite leaders, began the Mennonite Reporter (its name was Canadian Mennonite Reporter in 1971) in August 1971. The founding chair was Milton Good. The founding editor was Frank H. Epp, who had also founded the earlier Canadian Mennonite. In 1973 David Kroeker became editor; in 1979 Ron Rempel became editor/publisher and served until August 2003. Margaret Loewen Reimer filled roles ranging from assistant editor, managing editor and interim editor/publisher from 1973 to January 2005. Timothy Miller Dyck became editor/publisher in August 2004.

Originally an inter-Mennonite publication published bi-weekly in a newspaper format, the Mennonite Reporter went through major changes in the 1990s. The vast majority of its subscribers were from the group of conferences that became part of the new Conference of Mennonites in Canada/Mennonite Church Canada in 1995. In 1997 Mennonite Publishing Service reached agreement with the Conference of Mennonites in Canada to have a more focused linkage on that conference. The name of the paper changed on 15 September 1997 to Canadian Mennonite, and switched to magazine format. The Conference of Mennonites in Canada established an every-home-plan in cooperation with the area conferences that related to CMC.

Custodial history: Donated from the personal files of Frank H. Epp, Ralph Lebold, Marlene Epp, Wilmer Martin, Sue C. Steiner and Sam Steiner.

Scope and content: There are three series: Minutes and Annual Reports, Publication Steering Committee, Miscellaneous.

Notes: For additional information see a special issue of Canadian Mennonite (6 Oct 2003) on 50 years of church news as well as Ron Rempel's final editorial in Mennonite Reporter (1 Sept 1997), p. 6.
Issues of The Canadian Mennonite, Canadian Mennonite Reporter, Mennonite Reporter, and Canadian Mennoniteare located in the CGUC library catalogue.
An online index to the Mennonite Reporter from 1971-1982 and 1984-1996 is available on the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches website. 

Original archival description prepared by Sam Steiner in 2008.

File list:

Series 1: Minutes, reports & related correspondence

1970-February 1981; 1983-February 2000 

Series 2: Publication Steering Committee

Administrative history: This committee, composed of representatives from area conferences, the Conference of Mennonites in Canada and the Mennonite Publishing Service, negotiated the new arrangements leading to the publication of Canadian Mennonite.

1. 1992-1995 (Includes pre-1995 discussion)
2. 1996-1997 (Steering Committee minutes, etc.)

Series 3: Miscellaneous

1. Board Member Information Kit, 1991
2. Fundraising materials
3. Correspondence with Conrad Grebel College, 28 Aug 1972, 1979, 23 May 1978
4. Lists of board members, 1977-1988; List of correspondents and columnists, 1971-1984
5. Editorial policy workshop, 1983