Neufeld, Abram J. (1920–2019)
Proper Title
Abram J. Neufeld fonds
Dates of Creation
1978–1995
Physical Description
25 cm of textual materials
Biographical Sketch
Abram J. (Abe) Neufeld (GRANDMA ID: 519475), missionary and minister, was born 2 May 1920 in Sergeyevka, Fuerstenland, south Russia (now Ukraine), to Johann A. (1884–1960) and Anna P. (Enns) Neufeld (1888–1979). He was the sixth of nine children in the family. On 17 August 1946, he married Irene (Loewen) Neufeld (15 January 1926–26 September 2016), daughter of Isaak T. (1888–1950) and Maria (Ratzlaff) Loewen (1887–1966). The couple had three sons: Thomas, Charles, and Gareth. Abe and Irene worked in church planting, pastoral leadership, and other ministries in Europe and North America.
In 1926, the Johann and Anna Neufeld family immigrated to Canada, settling on a farm near Niverville, Manitoba. Abram completed his basic schooling in Niverville before continuing post-secondary education at the Mennonite Brethren Bible College in Winnipeg. Following graduation, Abe and Irene entered Christian vocational ministry, including Bible School teaching and pastoral ministries.
Abe and Irene with their boys moved to Linz, Austria, in 1954, to work with newcomers and long-time residents. They began holding Bible studies in their home, eventually establishing a church. Radio preaching and itinerant ministry in Germany and Switzerland were also part of this period.
Following several years back in Winnipeg, they moved to Vienna, Austria, in 1969, beginning a new ministry with university students, which soon grew to include over a hundred people meeting in the Neufelds’ apartment. Preaching assignments also took them to the Soviet Union.
After their European ministry, Abe and Irene returned to Canada in 1983, where Abe began serving as pastor of the Portage Avenue Mennonite Brethren Church in Winnipeg. He retired in 1990, but agreed to lead the German-language ministry at the Elmwood Mennonite Brethren Church for several more years. These years also included several, months-long preaching and teaching stints in Paraguay. Throughout their ministry, Abe and Irene were also involved in singing and music.
In 2014, Abe and Irene received a Seniors of the Year award from the mayor of Winnipeg. They were highly regarded in the community for their team ministry and dedicated service. Irene died in 2016, and Abe died in 2019.
Custodial History
In 2023, son Gareth Neufeld brought a box of his father's sermon notes and outlines to CMBS for preservation and description.
Scope and Content
The Abe J. Neufeld fonds consists of hundreds of sermon notes/outlines--some in German and others in English--preached in various congregations in Austria and Canada during Abe's professional career as missionary and minister. There are also notes/outlines for sermons Abe preached at weddings and funerals. The fonds documents the assumptions, motivation, and vision of one Mennonite preacher, Abe J. Neufeld, and the particular culture of the Mennonite Brethren church in which he served.
Notes
- Title based on contents of fonds.
- Accession number: 2023-13.
- Volume No.: 1529.
- Finding aid consists of a description and a file/folder list.
- Description created by Jon Isaak, November 2023.
- No restrictions to access.
- Language: English and German.
- See encyclopedia biography in GAMEO, https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Neufeld,_Abram_J._(1920-2019)
- See tribute published in Profiles of Mennonite Faith, https://mbhistory.org/profiles/neufeld-ai/
- See also the book-length biography written by Margaret Epp,
File List
Volume 1529
1. Sermon outlines in eighteen 13 x 19 cm binders typically used by preachers. -- [1978?]–[1988?].
2. Bible study lecture notes on the Epistle to the Hebrews and the Epistle to the Romans, chapters 5–8. -- [1983?]–[1986?].
3. Sermon outlines for sermons given at special occasions, like weddings and funerals. -- [1978?]–[1995?].
4. Sermon outlines on 14 x 21 cm sheets of paper, the size that fits between the pages of a Bible, also a practice typically used by preachers. -- [1981?]–[1995?].