STATISTICAL REPORT
From December 1, 1957 to December 1958.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Another church year has forever passed into the sea of time. The psalmist compares our years to 'a watch in the night', 'a storm rolling along', 'a sleep', 'grass that soon withers'. Psalm 90:4, 5.

As a church we experienced much blessing in the Sunday services, the Wednesday Bible studies, and the Saturday prayer meetings. The table was always richly set for both young and old. Much seed of the living Word of God was scattered into the hearts of people to bear fruit for both time and eternity.

On the other hand we also find that, unfortunately, surges of the disrupting spirit of the age, superficial Christianity, and accommodation to the world broke against and threatened our small church craft. We observe that this is a concern in many of our churches, and the anxious question arises of where we as a Mennonite Brethren Church, in spite of our many evangelistic and deeper life services, in spite of our many efforts to accommodate the wishes of our youth, and in spite of the creation of new committees, will one day end up. In consideration of these somber realities we do not want to cease raising praying hands and pray with the songwriter:

On this day, we as a congregation cannot but call out thankfully with the prophet Jeremiah, 'Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.' Lamentations 3: 22, 23. To him be honour and glory.

And now once again to the statistics:

In the preceding year 4 members (3 brothers and 1 sister) went to the home above, while in this year the number was doubled, with 1 brother and seven sisters. 'They have overcome through the blood of the lamb.' Those who have gone home include the following:

The average age of the dearly departed was 73.5. Among them, 2 surpassed the biblical age, attaining to an age of 84 and 92.

The following is often stated: 'The old must die, and the young can die'.

This we too have experienced during the year just past. In accordance with his incomprehensibly wise decree, the Lord of life and death saw fit to take unto himself, at the tender age of 8 months and 20 days, the young daughter of Brother and Sister Tilitzky, Judith Irene, on January 21. A poet expresses the following:

In this year also we want remember those who have gone home and express to the bereaved our sympathy by rising and reading Revelation 14:13: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from this time forward. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labour, for their deeds follow after them.' Amen!

The 68 memberships were transferred to the following churches:

A Brotherly Reminder:

In order to raise the funds for our church treasury (maintenance, Sunday School, Saturday school and high school, kindergarten, music and youth endeavours, etc.), for various mission efforts in the area (West Coast Children's Mission, provincial conference treasury) and the Canadian Conference, our congregation has decided that

a) every member will pay $3/month. b) In keeping with II Corinthians 8:12, 'For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have', the church anticipates additional contributions from those to whom the Lord has entrusted more earthly goods.

The church requests that the levy and additional voluntary contributions be left with Br. Peter Berg, our treasurer, Box 163, Central Rd., Yarrow, BC. His phone number is UN 8-5323.

'God loves a cheerful giver.' II Corinthians 9:17

                Prepared by Mr. David Klassen    

Highlights of the Past Fifty Years
by George J. Epp
presented at Yarrow MB 50 Years Celebrations [1979]

I was asked by the Pastor to give some highlights of the past 50 years of Yarrow.

When I think back to 1928 in February 21 when I came here to Yarrow as an 18 year old, with my parents. We moved into a house up on Majuba Hill where 4 other families lived, the John Bargens, the Isaak Sawatskys, the George Derksens and the John Janzens. Each family lived in one room. They all cooked and baked on one wood stove. The Nicholai Reimers, Grandpa Reimer and the three Reimer sisters lived in a cabin by the Yarrow station. They had arrived one day earlier than we.

As my father Jacob Epp was a Preacher, the first two Sundays up on the [Majuba] Hill we had Sunday Service there with 40 persons. Three families moved down to the house that was built. It belonged to Isaak Sawatsky. The Sawatskys, the John Bargens and Jacob Epps, three families lived in the first house. It is the house that the George Heinrichs live in now on Yarrow Central Road.

After looking all the land over, my father bought 10 acres of land on what is now Eckert Road. There were no roads in Yarrow yet. My brother Isaak Epp and I helped build the John Bargens house. My father ordered lumber and we built our house. We gathered every Sunday for services in homes after the Johann Jantzens had built their house on the corner of Wilson and Central Road. The picture in the Yarrow book of the first settlers of 1928 taken at Easter is at the Johann Jantzen's house.

1928 Peter & Liese Berg home on Central Road, was first house built in Yarrow

When the Peter Giesbrecht family arrived, Brother Peter Giesbrecht started with the choir. Brother George Derksen started with Sunday School in the afternoon. In July-August the first public school was built and the Yarrow Central Road was built and more families moved to Yarrow.

From September 1928 we had Sunday morning services in the school and Sunday School in the afternoon.

In 1929, the M.B. Church was organized and a church was built here [on the same site as the present Yarrow MB Church]. More preachers and their families moved to Yarrow: Petrus Martens, John Neufelds, Kornelius Klassens, Peter Dicks, P.H. Neufeldts, Peter Neufelds, and John Dicks.

Baptism of George Epp by Rev. Peter Neufeld on August 4th, 1931.

On May 5th, 1929, we had Missionary Frank Wiens from China. We had a revival where we all knelt down and prayed and the Lord forgave me my sins. I was baptized August 4th, 1931 by Rev. Peter Neufeld and accepted into the Yarrow MB Church.