Chortitzer Mennonite Conference
Encyclopedia
The Chortitzer Mennonite Conference, or Die Mennonitische Gemeinde zu Chortitz, is a small body of Mennonite
s in western Canada
.
from Russia
in 1874. They were first known as Bergthalers
, but eventually became known as the Chortitzer Church because their bishop, Gerhard Wiebe (1827-1900), lived near the village of Chortitz (now known as Randolph). This group was very conservative. They sang without harmony (parts), restricting the singing to a melody only. They allowed neither Sunday schools nor evening services. The German language was used exclusively in church services. The bishop and ministers possessed most of the authority in the conference, allowing for little local autonomy.
The departure in 1948 of the more conservative families to Paraguay
, left the more progressive families remaining in Canada. This opened the way for a number of changes in the Chortitzer conference. A new emphasis was placed on Christian education, with the addition of Bible studies, Sunday school, Sunday evening services, and young people's programs. Exclusive use of the German language made way for the adoption of English - first in Sunday School, and then in the Sunday morning services. A mission board was formed to conduct the mission outreach of the conference, and now a number of Chortitzer conference members serve in different parts of the world.
The Chortitzer Mennonite Conference has over 2,400 baptized members in 15 congregations. The bishop is the spiritual leader of the conference and is the head of the CMC Ministerial Executive Committee. Although all land and property is owned by the conference, each congregation is nearly autonomous and presides over its ministerial elections, spiritual matters, ministries, and budget. The bishop is responsible for the ordination of ministers and deacons. Some of the conference pastors are financially supported by the conference and their local church, but most pastors serve without salaries. The conference, which has its main office in Steinbach, Manitoba
, prints the CMC Chronicle as its official publication and has a radio program ministry that ministers to German-speaking Mennonites in South America
, Mexico
, Belize
, and Canada
.
:
Saskatchewan
:
Alberta
:
British Columbia
:
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
s in western Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
The forerunners of this group came to ManitobaManitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 1874. They were first known as Bergthalers
Bergthal Colony
The Bergthal Colony was a Mennonite settlement in the southern part of the former Russian Empire, now Ukraine that emigrated to Manitoba, Canada....
, but eventually became known as the Chortitzer Church because their bishop, Gerhard Wiebe (1827-1900), lived near the village of Chortitz (now known as Randolph). This group was very conservative. They sang without harmony (parts), restricting the singing to a melody only. They allowed neither Sunday schools nor evening services. The German language was used exclusively in church services. The bishop and ministers possessed most of the authority in the conference, allowing for little local autonomy.
The departure in 1948 of the more conservative families to Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, left the more progressive families remaining in Canada. This opened the way for a number of changes in the Chortitzer conference. A new emphasis was placed on Christian education, with the addition of Bible studies, Sunday school, Sunday evening services, and young people's programs. Exclusive use of the German language made way for the adoption of English - first in Sunday School, and then in the Sunday morning services. A mission board was formed to conduct the mission outreach of the conference, and now a number of Chortitzer conference members serve in different parts of the world.
The Chortitzer Mennonite Conference has over 2,400 baptized members in 15 congregations. The bishop is the spiritual leader of the conference and is the head of the CMC Ministerial Executive Committee. Although all land and property is owned by the conference, each congregation is nearly autonomous and presides over its ministerial elections, spiritual matters, ministries, and budget. The bishop is responsible for the ordination of ministers and deacons. Some of the conference pastors are financially supported by the conference and their local church, but most pastors serve without salaries. The conference, which has its main office in Steinbach, Manitoba
Steinbach, Manitoba
Steinbach is a city of approx. 13,500 people in the southeast corner of the province of Manitoba, Canada, a short distance from the capital Winnipeg. Steinbach is the largest community in the Eastman region of Manitoba. The city is located in the R.M. of Hanover and bordered to the east by the R.M...
, prints the CMC Chronicle as its official publication and has a radio program ministry that ministers to German-speaking Mennonites in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Congregations
ManitobaManitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
:
- Callsbeck Fellowship Chapel (Winnipeg)
- Christian Faith Church (WinklerWinkler, ManitobaWinkler is a small city with a population of about 9,900 located in southern Manitoba, Canada in the Rural Municipality of Stanley...
) - Grunthal CMC
- Mitchell CMC
- Niverville CMC
- Randolph CMCRandolph CMCThe Randolph CMC Church was a Chortitzer Mennonite Conference congregation located in the postal district of Randolph...
(Closed in 2010) - Rosengard CMC (KleefeldKleefeld, ManitobaKleefeld , a small community in the Canadian province of Manitoba was settled in the 1870s and was originally called Gruenfeld .- History:...
) - Silberfeld Mennonite ChurchSilberfeld Mennonite ChurchSilberfeld Mennonite Church is a Chortitzer Mennonite Conference congregation located approximately 3 miles northeast of New Bothwell, Manitoba. The church actively serves the New Bothwell area....
(New BothwellNew Bothwell, ManitobaNew Bothwell is a community in the Canadian province of Manitoba, , located about 15 km northwest of Steinbach on Highway #216, in the rural municipality of Hanover. In 2001 it had a population of about 530...
) - Steinbach CMCSteinbach CMCThe Steinbach CMC is a Chortitzer Mennonite Conference church located in Steinbach, Manitoba. The church consists of two congregations: one English and one German, each with its own elected Ministerial....
- Weidenfeld CMC
- Zion Mennonite Church (SchanzenfeldSchanzenfeld, ManitobaSchanzenfeld is a small community about 1 km south of Winkler, Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Stanley. Largely a Mennonite community, its close vicinity to Winkler should one day make it a suburb of the much larger City of Winkler...
)
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
:
- Osler Mission Chapel
Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
:
- New Life Mission Church (EdbergEdberg, AlbertaEdberg is a village in central Alberta approximately south of Camrose.- Demographics :In 2006, Edberg had a population of 155 living in 63 dwellings, a 3.3% increase from 2001. The village has a land area of and a population density of ....
) - Two Hills Mennonite Church
British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
:
- Evangelical Mission (Fort St. JohnFort St. John, British ColumbiaThe City of Fort St. John is a city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Peace River Regional District, the city covers an area of about 22 km² with 22,000 residents . Located at Mile 47, it is one of the largest cities along the Alaska Highway. Originally...
) - Prespatou Mennonite Church
External links
- Official website
- Chortitzer Mennonite Conference in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online