First Mennonite Calgary

First Mennonite Church had its beginning during the 1930s when young Mennonite women came to Calgary to find employment as domestic workers in some of the well-to-to-homes. They gathered together wherever they could for fellowship. Eventually the women were joined by a number of families. The congregation began services in July 1944 under the auspices of the Conference of Mennonites in Alberta. The work was taken over by the General Conference in 1945 with John J. Sawatsky from Carstairs as leader. The former Scarboro United Church building was purchased in 1945 and Scarboro Mennonite Mission was formally organized on 29 May 1946 with 27 founding members.

Between 1948 and 1952 there was a great surge of growth as immigrants came after the war, young couples moved into the city, and retired farmers came to make their homes here. In 1948 a Mädchenheim was established in the home of the pastor, which continued to operate until 1955. The building in which the congregation worshiped became too small and a new one was built on Richmond Road. The Sunday School developed and grew, large choirs filled the front of the sanctuary every Sunday, and three women's groups were active. It was a vibrant congregation.

In 1955 the congregation became independent and in 1957 it changed its name to First Mennonite Church. The 1950s and 1960s were times of internal power struggles and conflict over the language issue. The older, original residents were interested in making a transition to English whereas recent post-World War II immigrants wanted to retain the German. Consequently First Mennonite lost members to Foothills Mennonite in 1963-64 over the language issue.

In 1965, Jacob Wiebe became the first hired pastor, but a large contingent of lay pastors were included in the ministerial team. Ministerial candidates were chosen from the congregation, one of whom, Peter Heidebrecht, was later ordained as Ältester. The congregation experienced some cycles of growth and decline as conflicts and differences arose.

In 1969 the church decided to hold two services each Sunday, the first in German and the second in English.

In 1997, Ken Bechtel led the congregation through a period of evaluation, reassessment, and transition to ultimate new growth.

After 68 years, the congregation held its last German service on 9 November 2014.

Bibliography

Canadian Mennonite (25 June 1968); (25 May 2009): 14; (12 July 2010).

Dick, C. L. The Mennonite Conference of Alberta: A History of its Churches and Institutions. Edmonton: The Mennonite Conference of Alberta, 1981: 147 pp.

Klassen, Irene. "Calgary First Mennonite Church: History." 2001. http://calgary1st.mennonitechurch.ab.ca/about.htm (accessed 23 September 2009).

Mennonite Reporter (25 November 1996): 11.

Wiebe-Neufeld, Donita. "German Services Come to an End at Alberta Church." Mennonite World Review. 5 January 2015. Web. 19 January 2015. http://mennoworld.org/2015/01/05/german-services-come-to-an-end-at-alberta-church/.