Mennonite Church Canada has created lasting relationships with indigenous communities such as Cross Lake, Man. In 1943, Henry Gerbrandt served the community in fulfilling his commitment as a conscientious objector to war. In 1956, Otto and Margaret Hamm moved to the community. A church was built in 1957, and a new one in 2005. Pictured, Jeremiah Ross (1909-2002) of Cross Lake was ordained as minister of the congregation in 1968; he retired in 1998. With the many changes to Mennonite Church Canada programs over the years, today no workers remain in indigenous communities. For the past number of years, Sterling Mennonite Fellowship of Winnipeg has been invited to bring a one-week Vacation Bible School program to the children of Cross Lake.
Text by Conrad Stoesz / Mennonite Heritage Centre
For more historical photos, see archives.mhsc.ca
![Twitter](https://canadianmennonite.org/sites/all/themes/cmm2/images/twitter_article.png)
![Instagram](https://canadianmennonite.org/sites/all/themes/cmm2/images/instagram_article.png)
Add new comment
Canadian Mennonite invites comments and encourages constructive discussion about our content. Actual full names (first and last) are required. Comments are moderated and may be edited. They will not appear online until approved and will be posted during business hours. Some comments may be reproduced in print.