Eigenheim Mennonite Church
Encyclopedia
Eigenheim Mennonite Church is the first Mennonite
Church structure in Saskatchewan
.
Located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) west of Rosthern, Saskatchewan
, Canada, on Highway 312, the Eigenheim Mennonite Church has been a local landmark since 1896, when the first Mennonite Church structure in Saskatchewan was completed on the current site. Built of logs cut on the North Saskatchewan River
, it was 24 ft by 40 feet, the approximate size of a small modern bungalow. As new families arrived to homestead in the area, this first log church very quickly proved inadequate, and in 1902, a new structure was dedicated. By 1954, this structure, too, was in need of renovation and at that time, work was begun that resulted in the building as it appears today.
Eigenheim was originally central to a larger church body called the Rosenort Mennonite Church, a multi-congregational church encompassing roughly an area from Hague
to Waldheim
, Tiefengrund to Rosthern. First elder and prime mover in the development of the Rosenort Mennonite community was Peter Regier, working together with Gerhard Epp, Johann Dueck, David Toews (associated primarily with facilitating further Mennonite immigration after the Russian Revolution and with the building of what is now Rosthern Junior College
) and others. By 1929, people in Eigenheim had determined that the large size of the Rosenort Mennonite Church stood in the way of local development and chose independence, with Gerhard G. Epp as elder and H.T. Klaassen as minister.
Eigenheim has always been a staunch supporting congregation of the larger conferences of Mennonites in Saskatchewan, Canada and North America. This tradition is expressed today in activity supporting the Canadian Foodgrains Bank; Mennonite Central Committee
; the Christian Witness program of Mennonite Church Canada
; Mennonite Church Saskatchewan’s camping programs, nursing homes and prison visitation outreach; Rosthern Junior College and Canadian Mennonite University
. Through participation in the Rosthern Ministerial, it cooperates in local ventures such as ecumenical worship, a local food bank and Meals on Wheels, to name a few.
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...
Church structure in 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....
.
Located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) west of Rosthern, Saskatchewan
Rosthern, Saskatchewan
Rosthern is a town at the juncture of Highway 11 and Highway 312 in the central area of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located roughly halfway between the cities of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.-History:...
, Canada, on Highway 312, the Eigenheim Mennonite Church has been a local landmark since 1896, when the first Mennonite Church structure in Saskatchewan was completed on the current site. Built of logs cut on the North Saskatchewan River
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
, it was 24 ft by 40 feet, the approximate size of a small modern bungalow. As new families arrived to homestead in the area, this first log church very quickly proved inadequate, and in 1902, a new structure was dedicated. By 1954, this structure, too, was in need of renovation and at that time, work was begun that resulted in the building as it appears today.
Eigenheim was originally central to a larger church body called the Rosenort Mennonite Church, a multi-congregational church encompassing roughly an area from Hague
Hague, Saskatchewan
-Location:-External links:*...
to Waldheim
Waldheim, Saskatchewan
-History:Mennonites from Manitoba and South Dakota arrived here to settle and farm in 1893. The Canadian Northern Railway arrived in 1908.-Mennonites arrive in Canada:...
, Tiefengrund to Rosthern. First elder and prime mover in the development of the Rosenort Mennonite community was Peter Regier, working together with Gerhard Epp, Johann Dueck, David Toews (associated primarily with facilitating further Mennonite immigration after the Russian Revolution and with the building of what is now Rosthern Junior College
Rosthern Junior College
Rosthern Junior College, an independent high school, has been a landmark institution in the town of Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada since 1905. Opening in that year as the German-English Academy, it was founded by Mennonite settlers in response to a need for trained teachers to work in the schools...
) and others. By 1929, people in Eigenheim had determined that the large size of the Rosenort Mennonite Church stood in the way of local development and chose independence, with Gerhard G. Epp as elder and H.T. Klaassen as minister.
Eigenheim has always been a staunch supporting congregation of the larger conferences of Mennonites in Saskatchewan, Canada and North America. This tradition is expressed today in activity supporting the Canadian Foodgrains Bank; Mennonite Central Committee
Mennonite Central Committee
The Mennonite Central Committee is a relief, service, and peace agency representing 15 Mennonite, Brethren in Christ and Amish bodies in North America. The U.S. headquarters are in Akron, Pennsylvania, the Canadian in Winnipeg, Manitoba.-History:...
; the Christian Witness program of Mennonite Church Canada
Mennonite Church Canada
Mennonite Church Canada is the conference of Mennonites in Canada, with head offices in Winnipeg, Manitoba.The first Mennonites in Canada arrived from Pennsylvania in 1786. The majority of the Mennonites that migrated to Canada over the next 150 years came directly from Europe...
; Mennonite Church Saskatchewan’s camping programs, nursing homes and prison visitation outreach; Rosthern Junior College and Canadian Mennonite University
Canadian Mennonite University
Canadian Mennonite University is a Christian university located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that awards three and four-year degrees in a variety of programs...
. Through participation in the Rosthern Ministerial, it cooperates in local ventures such as ecumenical worship, a local food bank and Meals on Wheels, to name a few.
External links
- Official website
- Eigenheim Mennonite Church (Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada) at Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia OnlineGlobal Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia OnlineThe Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online is an online encyclopedia of topics relating to Mennonites and Anabaptism. The mission of the project is to provide free, reliable, English-language information on anabaptist-related topics....