A Continuing Occasional Series

Written by Stephen Thompson
Canada West Mission Centre Historian

Historian’s Corner, Vol. 2, No. 3

Having completed the series on “The Making of the Presidents of the Church,” I will return to emphasizing historical material that is more directly related to the Canada West Mission Centre. Today, I am returning to my cache of “District Leader” newsletters from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

In the first column, in which I highlighted this newsletter, I said that the earliest edition I had was from January 1961. I have just discovered I have issues from at least December 1959, and  through 1960. The following is a summary of just some of the very interesting material contained in them.

To me, the newsletters are amazing productions for their day. Each one is 20 to 24 pages, typed, single-spaced, no pictures, undoubtedly copied using a Gestetner (or similar technology of the day), then assembled, stapled, and mailed out to who-knows-how-many members across at least the three provinces. Some people were regular “columnists” and wrote monthly columns ranging from a few paragraphs in length to as much as four pages. There are entries of varying lengths from congregational “reporters” – any given congregation is not represented in all months, but most months.

In January 1960 there is a longer article by Leora Lester on “Word of Wisdom Given by Revelation.” There is a longer article by Elder S.R. (Stan) Walker (from the Edmonton Branch) on the topic of “Preparation for Zion,” which is well-researched with scriptural sources as well as contemporary references to non-RLDS thinkers and leaders. Thomas A. Johnstone, also from Edmonton, provided a short sermon on the topic, “Behold the Man,” in which he makes the case that Jesus’ life is an exemplary life for all of us because he shared with us from his humanity (as opposed to his divinity) and therefore could identify with all our human strengths and weaknesses.

Mrs. M.L. Cornish wrote a column titled, “Let’s Help Finish the Auditorium.” In one paragraph she observed: “It’s easy for us away up here to say, ‘Well, why don’t they get the Auditorium finished?’ But as Brother Renfroe said at one of our reunions, “’They’ have gone home. So if there is something more to be done, just you do it.” (Aside: Reminds me (Steve) of President Veazey telling us at the last World Conference that WE are the strategic plan for the future of the church!)

There is much more content that I cannot begin to summarize. Moving on to the April 1960 edition, we find a “Directory Page” of that year’s local leadership. I thought it would be interesting to share this listing. Many of these names will be remembered by members throughout the Canada West Mission Centre.

Alberta District:
Missionary: R.E. Ashenhurst (Calgary)
President: D.K Larmour (Edmonton)
Secretary: Gladys Larmour (Edmonton)
Treasurer: A.C. Johnstone (Edmonton)
Non-Resident Pastor: K.W. Anholt (Edmonton)
Religious Education: S.R. Walker (Fort Saskatchewan)
Women’s Leader: Jean Walrath (Edmonton)
Evangelist: Wm. Osler (Edmonton)
Zion’s League: R.L. Jenkins (Edmonton)
Young Adults: Donald Saul (Edmonton)
​Bishop’s Agent: C.O. Diaper (Calgary).
Saskatchewan District:
Missionary: K.E. Harvey (Regina)
President: T.R. Bowerman (Prince Albert)
Secretary: Elaine Olson (Porcupine Plain)
Treasurer: Dennis Wells (Saskatoon)
Religious Education: Walter Postnikoff (Saskatoon)
Women’s Leader: Eleanor Mountenay (Saskatoon??)
Evangelist: Orval Fisher (Saskatoon)
Young Adults: Arthur Bergeson (Regina)
Bishop’s Agent: E.A. Baker (Saskatoon).
Pastors:
Calgary Branch: E.B. McLean
Edmonton Branch: N.E. Olson
Grassland (Alberta) Mission: Orval Jenkins
Ribstone Branch: A.H. Gregory
Artland (Senlac) Branch: Myron Cornish
Paddockwood: Earl Beckham
Prince Albert: G.R. Bowerman
Regina Branch: J.D Williams
Saskatoon Branch: G.A. Gendron
Weyburn Branch: L.N. Jensen
Winnipeg Branch: G.M. McDonald
Fort William (Ontario) Branch: Anson Miller

​The next column will be in mid-June-ish. Check here each week for new material. And check the archive for past columns. Thanks for reading!