Visit our Online resources
Back to EMC Home Page
He that does not know
his past,
does not understand his present
and has no direction for the future.
- J. B. Toews
EMC Archives is a Conference facility housing records pertinent to the history and development of the Evangelical Mennonite Conference (known as Kleine Gemeinde in Russia and Canada until 1952.)
In the past, records were in the hands of individuals, usually ministers (Aeltesters). With the establishment of a separate EMC office building around 1970, a small safe became available to house the few archival articles in existence.
With the construction of a larger office building in downtown Steinbach in 1977, a fireproof vault became available to store EMC archival material. In about 1980 the EMC Board of Education and Publication (later called The Board of Church Ministries) became the keeper of the archives.
In the summer of 1981 a serious effort to organize the material began. A Bible college student was engaged for 10 weeks, the cataloguing system of the Mennonite Heritage Centre in Winnipeg was adopted, and a modest number of items were listed.
Since then there has been additional classifying and cataloguing on a part-time basis. The executive-secretary of the EMC Board of Education and Publication, Dave Schellenberg, became the archivist. Material is processed on an on-going basis.
Archival documents are stored mainly in labelled boxes (12-1/2 by 11 by 3 inches), which are named volumes. The archival holdings consists of more than 300 volumes, plus books and periodicals.
|
|
The archives is available for research purposes. The executive secretary to the Board of Church Ministries, or other office staff, can assist with inquiries. Outside expertise can be brought in where necessary.
Archival donations are welcome. The circumstances under which donations are made vary. Material is sometimes donated upon the death of a family member or when a family is moving and has no space to store materials. However, the concern in donating is the same: to preserve valuable materials for future generations. There is much more material of which we are unaware. Letters, diaries, books, periodicals, and more would prove valuable to the archives. Materials can be delivered to our office, or we can be contacted. Home visits can be arranged to evaluate potential donations and to offer advice on what to do with your materials. We look forward to hearing from you!
EMC Archives
440 Main Street
Steinbach, Manitoba
R5G 1Z5
Phone: 204-326-6401
Fax: 204-326-1613
E-mail