• We're Open and Excited to Welcome You Back — come visit us soon!
• Hearts of Freedom Gallery Exhibit on display now until April 25, 2025
• February 17, 2025 CLOSED for Family Day
• 500 a Celebration of the Anabaptist Story Saturday, March 1, 2025 - Buy Your Tickets Now!
• BC Heritage Week February 18-21, 2025 MHSBC Used Book Sale and MHM Film Showings
• Cafe Regular Hours Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 10am to 3pm

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We're back and open regular hours 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday! Come and see our latest featured exhibit "Hearts of Freedom". A film accompanies this exhibit: please see the front desk and we will arrange for you to see it in our Theatre 2.

Please note we will be closed Monday, February 17, 2025 for Family Day.

Our Cafe is open Tuesday-Thursday 10am to 3pm with the lunch menu from 11:15am to 2:00pm.

The MHSBC Research Center is open for drop-in genealogy help, a phone call ahead is encouraged, check in at the Museum Front Desk when you arrive.

We are excited to celebrate 500 Years of Anabaptist History with the Mennonite Historical Society of BC. Join MHSBC for "500 A Celebration of the Anabaptist Story and order your tickets today! See link below.

Join us in celebrating BC Heritage Week! The MHSBC will have a used book sale in the museum foyer- browse and buy! We will have scheduled showings of the film daily from Tuesday to Friday (Feb 18-21) at 1:00 pm

You are invited to come and experience this powerful temporary exhibit, Hearts of Freedom, on display at MHM until April 25, 2025.

This exhibition honours the incredible stories of Southeast Asian refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It highlights the impact of the Vietnam War, the Lao Secret War, and the Cambodian Genocide—events that forced millions to flee their homelands in search of safety. Through their journeys, these refugees faced unimaginable hardships, ultimately finding a new home in Canada. Hearts of Freedom shares their stories of survival and resilience in their own words, providing a profound and moving glimpse into their lives, and the broader history of immigration to Canada.

Don’t miss the opportunity to engage with this vital part of our shared history. Visit us today!

To commemorate 500 years of our history, MHSBC is hosting a benefit concert featuring The Mennonite Piano Concerto with pianist Paul Williamson, along with a Symphony Orchestra conducted by Calvin Dyck and the Masterworks & TWU Choirs conducted by Ben Ewert.

Saturday, March 1, 2025

Central Heights Church: 1661 McCallum Road, Abbotsford

Doors Open: 2:30pm (festival seating)

Concert Starts: 3:30pm

Click here to buy your tickets today! Act now, tickets are selling fast!

Get ready for an unforgettable afternoon of music and history on Saturday, March 1st, as the Mennonite Historical Society of BC presents a truly special concert to mark a milestone--

500 years of Anabaptist history!

Under the direction of Calvin Dyck and Ben Ewert, this event promises to be a celebration of both heritage and artistry. A powerful 70-voice choir and a 42-piece orchestra will take the

stage to perform an array of timeless pieces, including the stirring Mennonite Piano Concerto, dramatic excerpts from Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” and “Reformation Symphony”, and the

majestic Bach “Christmas Oratorio”.

The afternoon will feature Paul Williamson, one of the Fraser Valley’s top pianists and a current doctoral candidate at Northwestern University in Chicago, as the soloist for the Mennonite Piano Concerto. This piece, rich with beloved kernlieder (hymn melodies beloved by Mennonites),

holds deep historical significance—particularly the poignant 2nd movement “Wehrlos und Verlassen”, the hymn sung by Mennonites as they boarded trains to flee the Soviet Union in the

1920s. Commissioned by the B.B. Fast Foundation in 1975 to commemorate 450 years of Anabaptist history, this concerto has become a cherished work within the Mennonite community.

Directed by Ben Ewert, the combined choirs from Trinity Western

University and Masterworks Choir will also perform new orchestral arrangements, including Larry Nickel’s “Melodies of Molotschna”, David Squires’ “Exalted”, and a specially

commissioned arrangement of “Now Thank We All Our God” by Mel Bowker.

In addition to the breathtaking music, Richard Thiessen, President of the Mennonite Historical Society of BC, will share reflections on Anabaptist history, adding a personal and thoughtful dimension to the celebration.

The concert will take place at Central Heights Church and will serve as a fundraiser for the Mennonite Historical Society. It’s an event you won’t want to miss—both a musical journey and a powerful tribute to 500 years of faith, perseverance, and community.

Come and check out our many tables and book truck of used books for sale during BC Heritage Week!

Call to register 604-758-5667.

Registration encouraged but not required.

If the first showing is full, the film will be shown again immediately following.

Need Genealogy or Research Help?

Our Research Centre is open for drop-in genealogy help and appointments! Call today 604-853-6177!

You can renew your membership for 2025 by paying online 24/7:

Renewing online is handy and helps us. Thank you for your support!

Get your 500 Concert tickets here: www.bit.ly/500Concert or call during office hours 604-853-6177.

Email: info@mennonitemuseum.org
Website: http://mennonitemuseum.org/
Location: 1818 Clearbrook Road, Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Phone: (604) 758-5667
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MennoniteHeritageMuseum/
Twitter: @mennomuseum1