MHSA Archival Description Record
First Mennonite Church (Credit: Irene Klassen) |
Title and Physical Description
First Mennonite Church (Calgary) fonds -- 1980-2010. -- 20.25 cm of textual records
Administrative/Biographical History
Prior to the formation of any Mennonite church in Calgary, young Mennonite women were successfully moving to Calgary and finding work as domestic staff. Their spiritual welfare was made the concern of ministers who were passing through Calgary and by the 1930s Peter B. Epp and his wife opened their home up as a meeting place and Maedchenheim. The First Mennonite Church officially began in 1945 in the former Scarboro United Church building on 17th Avenue SW in Calgary. J.J. Sawatzky was requested to move to Calgary to get the congregation started. At inception, there were 27 signed members in the record book. Apart from urbanizing Alberta Mennonites, it became the receiving congregation for the immigrants arriving from Germany after WWII. It originally served a few member couples who had moved to Calgary, but also the single women who moved into the city. In September 1957 sod was turned at 2600 Richmond Road for a new church home and by March 1958 it was dedicated under its new name First Mennonite Church, Calgary. In 1946, meetings were attended by all members and all had voting privileges. However in the early 1950s this was rescinded and only men conducted the affairs of the church. It was not until 1975, that Brotherhood meetings became Congregational meetings and women regained the vote.
In 1963-64 a large number of members separated to join the emerging North Hill Mission (later became the Foothills Mennonite Church). In
1965 Jacob Wiebe became the first paid minister. Over the years the church swung between being English-only and equally operating in English and German.
Custodial History
The records were donated to the MHSA by church members
Scope & Content
The fonds consists of four series: A) Governance, B) Membership, C) Worship,
and D) Newsletters
Variations in Title Proper
Also known as Scarborough Mennonite Church fonds.
Source of Supplied Title
Title based on the contents of the fonds
Source of Acquisition
Gift from Alfred Janz and Irene (nee Epp) Klassen
Arrangement
According to Subject and date.
Access Restrictions
Access to personal information in fonds is subject to MHSA
privacy policy and relevant legislation
Finding Aids
See Files Inventory
Associated Materials
Associated records may be found at the Mennonite
Heritage Centre
Related Materials
For published works related to the fonds, see:
- Dick, C.L. (1980). Conference of Mennonites in Alberta History.
Calgary: Conference of Mennonites in Alberta.
- Klassen, Irene. (2007). "Mennonite beginnings in Calgary", in MHSA Newsletter X: 1 & 2.
Accruals
Expected
Notes
Accession 2007.045, 2008.031, 2009.001
Last updated 4 Jun 2010 - Judith Rempel
Files Inventory
A. Governance. -- 1980-2002.
-- 10 cm textual records
The series consists of minutes, records in support of projects or events. Arranged by date
1 - 1 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1980 1982
1 - 2 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1983 1985
1 - 3 Annual General Meeting Reports - 1983
1 - 4
Annual General Meeting Reports - 1983
1 - 5
Minutes, Records, etc. - 1986 1988
1 - 6 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1991
1 - 7 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1992
1 - 8 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1993
1 - 9 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1994
1 - 10 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1995
1 - 11 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1996
1 - 12 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1997
1 - 13 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1998
1 - 14 Minutes, Records, etc. - 1999
1 - 15 Minutes, Records, etc. - 2000
1 - 16 Minutes, Records, etc. - 2002
B. Membership. -- 1997-2007.
-- 1 cm textual records
The series consists of membership directories. Arranged by date
1 - 17 Directories 1997-2007
C. Worship. -- 2004-2010.
-- 9 cm textual records
The series consists of bulletins for the congregation's worship services. Arranged by date
1 - 18 Bulletins - 2002
1 - 19 Bulletins - 2003
1 - 20 Bulletins - 2004
1 - 21 Bulletins - 2005
2 - 22 Bulletins - 2006
2 - 23 Bulletins - 2007
2 - 24 Bulletins - 2008
2 - 25 Bulletins - 2009
2 - 26 Bulletins - 2010
D. Newsletters. -- 2001, 2003.
-- .25 cm textual records
The series consists of minutes, records in support of projects or events. Arranged by date
2 - 27 News from First Mennonite - 2001, 2003
|
