Administrative History

The Main Centre Mennonite Brethren was founded June 1904 by recently arrived settlers from Steinbach, Manitoba, who were soon joined by other settlers from Russia and the USA. Main Centre is located 50 km east-north-east of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, and just north of Herbert. The 15 charter members began meeting for worship under the leadership of Rev. Benjamin Janz and deacon Johann Schroeder. The church first met in various homes and then the Main Centre school until a church building was constructed in 1907. This building was in continuous use until at least the 1980s.

The first baptism was held on 16 August 1905. In 1915, the Main Centre church hosted the North District Conference of the Mennonite Brethren (later known as the Canadian Conference). Membership peaked in 1937 at 239. The economic oppression of the Great Depression forced many farmer-members to move to British Columbia or to other, more fertile, parts of Saskatchewan. The pastor at Main Centre Mennonite Brethren Church in 1999 was Kenneth Epp and membership was 74.

Ministers, leaders, and pastors at Main Centre have included Benjamin Janz (1904–1915), Jacob D. Ewert (1906–1917), Johann P. Wiebe (1917–1923), Henry P. Janz (1924–1932), Jacob A. Martens (1924–1927, 1929–1940), Klaas Ewert (1928), Nick P. Janz (1923–1935, 1943–1950), Jacob F. Redekop (1932–1945), Abram P. Janz (1940–1941), Abram D. Remple (1941–1943), John D. Goertzen (1943–1953, 1954–1956), Johann Siemens (1953–1954, 1956, 1958–1961), Abram Goerz (1956–1958), Abram Siebert (1958), Rudy Heidebrecht (1960), David Epp (1961–1969), Edward Hamm (1969–1973), Alvin Hamm (1973–1979), Murray Unruh (1980–1984), Reg Toews (1986–1992), Ken Epp (1992–2015?).

Main Centre Mennonite Brethren Church has also been known as the Bethel Mennonite Brethren at Main Centre, Saskatchewan.

The language of worship is English.  The transition from German occurred in the 1950s.

Church membership was 74 in 2000, and 66 in 2010.

In February 2019, the congregation decided to end regular services in June 2019. The reality of declining attendance (less than ten) meant that the ongoing viability of church programming and maintenance became unsustainable. The church made the decision to bless the remaining members to participate in other local congregations. Minutes of the February 2019 congregational meeting are included in the collection.