The Christian Mennonite Conference, formerly known as the Chortitzer Mennonite Conference (), is a small body of

Mennonite Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...

s in

western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...

History

The forerunners of this group came to

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

from

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

in 1874. They were first known as Bergthalers, but eventually became known as ''the Chortitzer Church'' because their bishop, Gerhard Wiebe (1827–1900), lived near the village of Chortitz (now known as Randolph), and made the local church his home church. This group was very conservative. They sang without harmony (parts), restricting the singing to a melody only. They allowed neither Sunday schools nor evening services. The German language was used exclusively in church services. The bishop and ministers possessed most of the authority in the conference, allowing for little local autonomy. The departure of the more conservative families to

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

in 1948 left the more progressive families remaining in Canada. This opened the way for a number of changes in the conference. A new emphasis was placed on Christian education, with the addition of Bible studies, Sunday school, Sunday evening services, and young people's programs. Exclusive use of the German language made way for the adoption of English - first in Sunday School, and then in the Sunday morning services. A mission board was formed to conduct the mission outreach of the conference, and now a number of conference members serve in different parts of the world. Today, the conference has just over 1,000 baptized members in 9 congregations. The bishop is the spiritual leader of the conference. Although all land and property is owned by the conference, each congregation is nearly autonomous and presides over its ministerial elections, spiritual matters, ministries, and budget. The bishop is responsible for the ordination of ministers and deacons. The conference, which has its main office in

Steinbach, Manitoba Steinbach () is the List of cities in Manitoba, third-largest city in the province of Manitoba, Canada, and with a population of 17,806, the largest community in the Eastman Region, Manitoba, Eastman region. The city, located about southeast of ...

, prints ''The Chronicle'' as its official publication and has a radio program ministry that ministers to German-speaking Mennonites in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The conference officially changed its name to ''Christian Mennonite Conference'' in 2015.

Congregations

Fort St. John, British Columbia Fort St. John is a city located in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The most populous municipality in the Peace River Regional District, the city encompasses a total area of about with 21,465 residents recorded in the 2021 Census. Located ...

Grunthal, Manitoba Grunthal ( German: ''Grünthal'', 'Green Valley') is a local urban district in the Rural Municipality of Hanover, Manitoba, located 24 kilometres southwest of Steinbach, and about 50 minutes south of Winnipeg. It had a population of 1,680 in ...

Mitchell, Manitoba Mitchell is a local urban district and population centre located in the Rural Municipality of Hanover, Manitoba, Canada. It is located three kilometers west of Steinbach, Manitoba along Provincial Highway 52. The community has a population of ...

* New Bothwell, Manitoba *

Niverville, Manitoba Niverville is a town in the Eastman Region, Manitoba, Canada. The town lies between the northwest corner of the Rural Municipality of Hanover and the southeastern portion of the Rural Municipality of Ritchot. Niverville's population as of the 2021 ...

* Prespatou, British Columbia *

* Weidenfeld, Manitoba *

Winkler, Manitoba Winkler is a city in Manitoba, Canada with a population of 13,745 ( census agglomeration 32,655), making it the 4th largest city in Manitoba, as of the 2021 Canadian census. It is located in southern Manitoba, surrounded by the Rural Municipality ...

Former congregations

* Osler, Saskatchewan * Randolph, Manitoba * Rosengard, Manitoba *

Schanzenfeld, Manitoba Schanzenfeld is a small hamlet community in the Rural Municipality of Stanley, Manitoba, Canada, located about 2 miles south of the City of Winkler. The village was named after Jacob Yost Shantz, a businessman from Ontario who helped Plaut ...

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

References

* '' Mennonite Encyclopedia (Vol. 5)'', Cornelius J. Dyck, Dennis D. Martin, et al., editors {{reflist

External links

Official website

Christian Mennonite Conference
in ''Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online'' Mennonite denominations Mennonitism in Canada Mennonitism in Manitoba Russian Mennonite diaspora in Canada Steinbach, Manitoba Mennonitism in British Columbia Mennonitism in Saskatchewan

History

Congregations

Former congregations

See also

References

External links