Administrative History

Russian Mennonite immigrants settled in the Killarney, Manitoba area in 1926–1927. All Mennonites worshiped together in the beginning years in rented facilities. As the numbers grew they formed their own congregations. In 1928 the Mennonite Brethren families formed the Holmfield MB Church. Since the families were scattered and transportation was still problematic throughout the year, they formed two congregations in 1938, the other being the Lena MB Church. It was still referred to as the Holmfield and Lena MB Church (according to the congregational minutes from 27 Nov.1932 to 14 Nov.1937 and again from 30 July 1944 to 27 June 1945), and sometimes even the Holmfield and Smith Hill MB Church (according to the congregational minutes from 27 March 1938 to 21 May 1944).

During the war years many families moved, so in 1945 most of the remaining members left the Holmfield MB Church and joined the Lena MB Church. However, from 1952 to 1958, the Holmfield group appears to have met separately. From 1946 to 1951 it was again referred to as the Holmfield and Lena congregation. From 1959 to 1967 only the Lena MB Church existed. It was this congregation that outgrew its facilities and decided to build a meeting place in Killarney in 1967. The congregation was renamed the Lakeview MB Church. In 1930 there were 56 members in the Holmfield MB Church. In 1967 there were 70 members in Lena MB Church.

The leaders of the congregation were: Heinrich Unger [Holmfield] (1928–1936), H. Derksen [Holmfield] (1937–1938), Peter P. Schulz [Holmfield] (1939–1945) [Holmfield and Lena] (1946–1950), G. Hildebrand [Holmfield and Smith Hill] (1938–1945), P. F. Sawatzky [Holmfield] (1952), Peter P. Schulz [Holmfield] (1953–1957), J. D. Froese [Holmfield] (1958), J. F. Pötker [Lena] (1951–1962), P. F. Sawatzky [Lena] (1963–1966), Harry Martens [Lena] (1967).

The language of worship is English and German.