History
Karla Fehr is on the organizing committee for the Blumenort Mennonite Church Centennial Celebration and touched on the history of the church: "It was started by Mennonites who came to Manitoba in the 1920s. They had endured terrible persecution in Ukraine/Russia since 1918 and a famine in 1921. The first families came to southern Manitoba in August of 1923, and small groups started meeting for worship that fall.
It started in the village of Blumenort, so initially congregations met in various villages of the West Reserve, including Blumenort, Rose Town, which was Rosenort back then, Rhineland and Gnadenthal. There are actually thirteen different locations where people met to worship at various times. Most were South of Winkler, but one group met in the Elm Creek Area. That one was called Wingham Mennonite, it closed in 2004. Another met in the Winnipegosis area, it's called Nordheim Mennonite and it's still going. Both of those groups became their own churches early on due to the distance from other congregations in the 1930s, it made sense to meet in the various villages. Travel was much more difficult, both due to road conditions and finances. But by the 1950s this had changed a lot and the decision was made with much back and forth and discussion, to meet in one location. The current facility was built in 1957. We still meet in that building, but it's had many renovations and additions since then.
Centennial Celebration
Organizer Karla Fehr continued: "we have several different events planned for Saturday, July 12th. There will be a golf tournament at Oak View. There will also be a tour in the afternoon visiting several of the former church sites. On Sunday, July 13th, there'll be coffee ready at 9:15 in the tent on our yard. Choir practice at 9:30, a worship service at 10:30, Danny's whole hog lunch at 12 and afternoon service with music and history at 2:00. And we finished with faspa at 3:30. All of that will be in the tent."
Enjoy the full conversation between organizer Karla Fehr and CFAM Morning Show co-host Zack Driedger below:
Event Details:
- Date - July 12th & 13th
- Location - Blumenort Mennonite Church (59 Center Ave, Blumenort, MB)
- Cost - FREE (with paid lunch)