©Mennonite Heritage Centre 2020
Last updated September 18, 2020

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Title: Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church fonds
Dates: 1947-2017
Extent: 83 cm of textual records; 53 photos; and 279 MB of electroic records.

Historical note

The Rosenfeld area was settled in 1876 by people mostly from Fürstenland Mennonite Colony in Russia. When the Reinländer Gemeinde was formed in 1880, these families opted to be served by Chortitzer church leaders from the Manitoba Mennonite East Reserve. After the division in 1892, most of these families joined the Sommerfelder group. The Bergthaler presence was first established here in 1903, and by 1904 there were regular worship services conducted here in rented facilities. However, over the next twenty years or so these worship services were held irregularly. Only in 1928 were regular services held for the Bergthaler group. In 1942, they built their own meeting house. The relationship with the central Bergthaler leadership was strained during these years. In 1949, this building was renovated. Due to shrinking numbers, the church closed in 2017. The leaders of the congregation were: Johann Löppky (1915-1947), Johan Heinrichs (1944-1949, 1951-1957), David Klassen (1937-1939), Diedrich Neudorf (1958- 1968), David Hildebrand (1957-1979), Peter Penner (1968-1970), John Froese (1972-1974), Brian Epp (1976-1977), Herman Kuhl (1980-2002), Walter E. Hiebert (2002-?), and Stefan Froese (2013-2017).

Scope and content note

This fonds consists of weekly bulletins (1958-2016; many missing), constitutions (1958-2012), annual reports (1957-2017; many missing), annual meeting minutes (1957-2007), church council meeting minutes (1964-2017; many missing), congregational meeting minutes (1956-2016; many missing), membership files (1965-2017), financial records and reports (1947-2006), ladies’ fellowship meeting minutes (1963-1993), and membership lists (1964-2017).  The materials in this fonds show the workings of a rural Mennonite congregation as it contends with urbanization, theological and life style issues, and serving its community.

Finding aids

Inventory file list available.

Notes

Language

Some German.

Restrictions on access

No restrictions on access.

Other notes

Accession number 2018-019
The textual records were deposited by the congregation.
Described by Bert Friesen 16 November 2001, updated by Andrew Klassen Brown June 2020.

Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church fonds file list:

Volume 36

  1. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1963)
  2. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1964)
  3. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1965)
  4. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1966)
  5. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1967)
  6. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1968)
  7. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1969)
  8. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1970)
  9. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1976)
  10. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1977), congregational consititution (1977)
  11. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1978)
  12. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1979), annual reports (1979), membership list (1979)
  13. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1980)

Volume 990

  1. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1981)
  2. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1982)
  3. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1983)
  4. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1984)
  5. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1985)
  6. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1986)
  7. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1987)
  8. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1988)
  9. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1989)

Volume 992

  1. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1990)
  2. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1991)
  3. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1992)
  4. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1993)
  5. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1994)
  6. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1995)
  7. Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1996)

Volume 6452

      16.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Constitutions. -- 1958-2015.
17.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Historical Summary. -- 1969.
18.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 1958.
19.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 1959.
20.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 1960.
21.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 1961.
22.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 1962.
23.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2002.
24.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2003.
25.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2004.
26.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2005.
27.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2006.
28.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2009.
29.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2010.
30.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2011.
31.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2012.
32.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2013.
33.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2014.
34.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2015.
35.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Bulletins. -- 2016.
36.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Reports. -- 1957-1959.
37.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Reports. -- 1960-1969.
38.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Reports. -- 1970-1978.
39.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Reports. -- 2006-2010. -- Note: some of these files are also available in digital format.
40.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Reports. -- 2014-2017. -- Note: some of these files are also available in digital format.
41.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Meeting Minutes. -- 1957-1959.
42.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Meeting Minutes. -- 1960-1969.
43.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Meeting Minutes. -- 1970-1979.
44.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Meeting Minutes. -- 1980-1989.
45.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Meeting Minutes. -- 1990-1999.
46.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Annual Meeting Minutes. -- 2000-2009. -- Note: some of these files are also available in digital format.

 Volume 6453

      1.      Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Historical Scrapbook. -- 1956-1957.
2.      Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Membership Files. -- 1965-2017.
3.      Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Membership Lists. -- 1964-2017.
4.      Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Council Meeting Minutes. -- 1964-1969.
5.      Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Council Meeting Minutes. -- 1971-1978.
6.      Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Council Meeting Minutes. -- 1985-1987.
7.      Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Council Meeting Minutes. -- 1993, 1998-1999.
8.      Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Council Meeting Minutes. -- 2000-2009. -- Note: some of these files are also available in digital format.
9.      Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Council Meeting Minutes. -- 2010-2017. -- Note: some of these files are also available in digital format.
10.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Congregational Meeting Minutes. -- 1956-1959.
11.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Congregational Meeting Minutes. -- 1961-1969.
12.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Congregational Meeting Minutes. -- 1970, 1974.
13.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Congregational Meeting Minutes. -- 1990, 1993-1994.
14.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Congregational Meeting Minutes. -- 2001-2009. -- Note: some of these files are also available in digital format.
15.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Congregational Meeting Minutes. -- 2012-2016. -- Note: some of these files are also available in digital format.
16.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Pastor’s Report. -- 1975, 2005-2009. -- Note: some of these files are also available in digital format.
17.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Family Christian Fellowship Committee Meeting Minutes. -- 1957-1972.
18.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Sunday School Committee Meeting Minutes. -- 1958-1966.
19.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Ladies’ Fellowship Meeting Minutes. -- 1963-1975.
20.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Ladies’ Fellowship Meeting Minutes. -- 1976-1993.
21.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Closing Committee Disbursement of Church Funds. -- 2017.
22.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Finance Committee Reports. -- 1947-1957.
23.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Finance Committee Reports. -- 1957-1985.
24.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler Mennonite Church Finance Committee Reports. -- 1994-2006.

 Digital Files:

1.      Church 2005
1.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
2.      Baptism Candidates

2.      Church 2006
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Congregational Meeting Minutes
4.      Church Directory
5.      Baptism Candidates
6.      Pastor’s Report
7.      Pastoral Job Description

3.      Church 2007
1.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes

4.      Church 2008
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Congregational Meeting Minutes
4.      Church Directory
5.      Pastor’s Report
6.      Church Budget
7.      Correspondence

5.      Church 2009
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Congregational Meeting Minutes
4.      Church Directory

6.      Church 2010
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Church Directory

7.      Church 2011
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Congregational Meeting Minutes
4.      Church Directory

5.      Sexuality Discernment

6.      Constitution

8.      Church 2012
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Congregational Meeting Minutes
4.      Church Directory
5.      Sexuality Discernment
6.      Rosenfeld Cemetery

9.      Church 2013
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Church Directory
4.      Birth-Baptism-Death form

10.  Church 2014
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Congregational Meeting Minutes
4.      Church Directory
5.      Rosenfeld Cemetery

11.  Church 2015
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Congregational Meeting Minutes
4.      Church Directory
5.      Constitution

12.  Church 2016
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Congregational Meeting Minutes
4.      Constitution

13.  Church 2017
1.      Annual Reports
2.      Church Council and Annual Meeting Minutes
3.      Church Directory
4.      Correspondence

14.  Rosenfeld Bergthaler (Acc. 2018-019) Photos
1.      VBS [Vacation Bible School] 2006 (30 photos)
2.      Thanksgiving 2007 (23 photos)