Bethel Mennonite Church in Winnipeg is celebrating its 80th anniversary. Pastor Darrel Toews says the church had humble beginnings in 1937 when Mennonite Church Canada, then known as the Conference of Mennonites in Canada, sought to reach out to people who were moving to Winnipeg from rural Manitoba.

"The southern Manitoba Bergthaler-Sommerfelder-Blumenorter group was slowly moving into the city for employment and opportunities and education and so there was an outreach suggested. But it was a tough go because, for awhile, people who did come to the city for those enterprises would hurry back to the country for their church life."

Toews says Bethel Mennonite held its first service in a rented space in January, 1938.

"It met every second Sunday in a rented facility and there were a few other scenarios like that. I think they found a place on the corner of Furby and Westminter for a decade, from 1945-55. There was rapid growth. During the first decade it went from 20 members to over 200 members. It wasn't until about 1953, a lot was purchased at Stafford and Carter, where we are now, with the dedication in 1955. And, again, there was rapid growth. By 1960, we had 515 members."

Toews says the congregation is going strong with over 600 members today plus another 150 residents of the neighbourhood who regularly use the church facilities for various activities. He shares some thoughts on what's driving their growth.

"Some are coming from CMU (Canadian Mennonite University), some are coming via connections of relationships, either friendships or familial. I think our recent move to become an affirming congregation has been a significant factor for quite a few young adults and young families. Two other things; I think in our age of technological connectedness, we're finding many people just really crave the community of face-to-face friendship and fellowship. The other factor is choral singing. The attraction of choral singing to many young adults is catching that segment."

Toews say they are blessed to be a vibrant, very busy, congregation.

Bethel Mennonite held special events last weekend to mark the anniversary.