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Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church – Langham, SK

Proper Title

Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church fonds

Dates of Creation

1903–1957

Physical Description

12 cm of textual records and one microfilm reel

Administrative History

The Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church, located near Langham in northern Saskatchewan, was a member of the Canadian Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Churches, Rosthern District. This church had its beginnings around 1903. In December of 1907 the first business meeting was conducted where Johann H. Peters, a farmer at Langham, was officially chosen as the first church leader. Sunday school was organized in 1907 as well. In its early years the church experienced conflict and reconciliation. In 1917 members decided to build a church at a cost of $700. In 1931 the Sons of Freedom burned down both the church and the school buildings at Neuhoffnung. Members gathered in homes for one year. In 1932 a new church building was erected four miles west of the original site where the cemetery remained.

Leaders of Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church were J.H. Peters (1907–1935), Isaac Andres (1936–1938) and Gerhard J. Wiens (1939–1944). The Neuhoffnung Church closed in 1944.

Scope and Content

This fonds consists of the following series: Church minutes, membership and family registers, financial records and cemetery records. The records are written in the German Gothic script.

Custodial History

Many of the records were microfilmed in 1978 through the work of the Historical Commission of the Mennonite Brethren Conference. The textual records came to the Bethany Bible School Archives in Hepburn, Saskatchewan on May 17, 1994 and from there to the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies in 1996.

Notes

  • Volume 584.
  • Formerly classified under the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches inventory BF501b.
  • Finding aid consists of a series description and a file list.
  • Finding aid for microfilm: R14, pp. 615–701.
  • Microfilm file list adapted from previous finding aid by Leslie Wiebe June 2003.

Series Descriptions

I. Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church minutes.
[192-?]–1944.
7 cm of textual records.

  • This series consists of a small amount of historical material, minutes of annual meetings, and minutes of Christian Endeavour programs.
  • Finding aid: Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church list 1–5.

II. Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church membership and family records.
[19-?]–1944.
3 cm of textual records.

  • This series consists of two books containing records of birth, baptism, marriage (includes names of parents) and death dates as well as a list of names of ministers and their family members.
  • Finding aid: Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church list 6–8.

III. Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church financial records.
1918–1941.
1 cm of textual records.

  • This series consists of one book of individual contributions of members as well as disbursements.
  • Finding aid: Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church list 9.

IV. Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church cemetery records.
1920–1957.
1 cm of textual records.

  • This series consists of one book of names of people and the location in which they are buried.
  • Finding aid: Neuhoffnung Mennonite Brethren Church list 10.

File List

Volume 584

Series I: Church minutes
1. Historical materials. – 1907–1932.
2. Minutes of Bruederberatung. – 1907–1926.
3. Minutes of Jahres Gemeindeberatung. – 1907–1944.
4. Minutes of Jugendverein. – 1918–1928.
5. Minutes of Jugendverein. – 1928–1940.

Series II: Membership and family registers
6. Membership and family register. – 1928–1937.
7. Membership and family register. – 1933–1940.
8. List of families of the leading ministers. – 1924.

Series III: Financial records
9. Financial records. – 1918–1941.

Series IV: Cemetery records
10. Cemetery records. – 1920–1957.

Microfilm file list

Reel 14

  • Membership and Family Records (Book II). – ca.1903–1935. – p.646–671.
  • Membership and Family Records (Book III). – ca.1903–1944. – p.672–701 (+20). – Note: It is unclear what this number represents, but is included because it was in a previous finding aid.
  • Congregational Meeting Minutes (Book I). – 1927–1944. – p.615–645 (+26). – Note: It is unclear what this number represents, but is included because it was in a previous finding aid.
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