Administrative History

The Vancouver Mennonite Brethren (MB) congregation began services around 1935 and formally organized on 25 April 1937 with a few dozen members. The congregation was the first Mennonite Brethren congregation in Vancouver. The group initially met in a rented hall. The church basement was built in 1941, the sanctuary was completed in 1944 and was occupied in 1945.

John Peters is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through the urbanization of Mennonites from the Fraser Valley. David B. Wiens was pastor of the congregation from 1957 until 1968 when he became pastor of a daughter congregation, Culloden Mennonite Brethren Church. Roughly 75% of the the church's membership followed Wiens to the new daughter congregation.

The years 1974/75 saw tremendous growth due to immigration from South America, but, by 1980, many had moved to the Fraser Valley or back to Paraguay.

In the spring and summer of 2007, Vancouver MB began discussions with the English language congregation of Pacific Grace MB Church to talk about ways in which the two congregations could plant a new congregation. A joint task force was formed in July and a proposal to merge was presented to both congregations on 16 September 2007. Formal approval was given by the leadership of both congregations on 30 September, and a new name, South Hill, was selected on 5 November 2007.

Over the years the church has been served by the following pastors: Frank Janzen (1936–1937), John J. Neufeld (1937), Johann F. Peters (1937–1938), Peter Reimer (1938–1939), David G. Quapp (1939–1943), Heinrich Regehr (1943–1944), Henry J. Klassen (1946–1955), Gerhard P. Warkentin (1955–1957), David B. Wiens (1957–1968), Peter Rahn (1968–1969), Gerhard G. Thielmann (1969–1976), Hans J. Wiens (1977–1980), Ernst Janzen (1981–1986), Abe L. Klassen (1987–1991), Manfred Schmidt (1994–1997), Johannes Stolz (1999–2007).

Source: GAMEO http://www.gameo.org/