Foothills Mennonite Church (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

Foothills Mennonite Church began services in 1955 when families began meeting in homes. In January 1956 the group began holding worship services and Sunday school, and formally organized in November 1961. The first building was occupied in 1959, with a subsequent building program in 1966. Peter Unger is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through urbanization from rural Alberta.

The congregation was first called North Hill Mennonite Mission, and then North Hill Mennonite Church. It was renamed Foothills Mennonite in 1966 when a new church building was constructed at a new location.

Foothills broke with tradition by electing deacons for terms of three years rather than for life. It also departed from the practice of allowing only elders to baptize and administer communion. The congregation experienced internal struggles over church leadership and spiritual stagnation. General renewal came to the church in the early 1970s.

Foothills helped in the development of Calgary Mennonite Fellowship in 1975.

Bibliography

Canadian Mennonite (16 October 1959): 7; (24 November 1961): 3; (27 April 1965): 9; (3 May 1966): 9; (15 November 1966): 3; (25 June 1968).

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives. "Foothills Mennonite Church fonds." 28 July 2009. http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/programs/archives/holdings/AB/AB_foothills.htm (accessed 23 September 2009).

"Our History." Foothills Mennonite Church website. http://foothills.mennonitechurch.ab.ca/about.htm (accessed 23 September 2009).

Schellenberg, Larry. "Financial History of the Foothills Mennonite Church," Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1982, 40 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.

Wedel, Candace. "The History of the Foothills Mennonite Church, Calgary, Alberta." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1965, 9 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.

Wiens, Janet. "The History of the Foothills Mennonite Church." Research paper, Canadian Mennonite Bible College, 1980, 20 pp. Mennonite Heritage Centre.

Archival Records

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives: Volumes 90, 91, 2421, 3912, 4010, 4641, 4819., 2143.

Additional Information

Address: 2115 Urbana Road NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4B9

Phone: 403-289-7172

Website: Foothills Mennonite Church

Denominational Affiliations:

Mennonite Church Alberta (1963-present)

Conference of Mennonites in Canada / Mennonite Church Canada (1963-present)

General Conference Mennonite Church (1965-1999)

Foothills Mennonite Church Leading Ministers

Minister	Years
Peter Unger	1957-1961
Jake Nickel	1962-1965
Abe Sawatzky	1965-1966
George Groening	1966-1971
Menno Epp	1971-1983
Bruce Wiebe	1984-1985
John Lenshyn	1986-1992
Ed Balzer	1993
Richard Yordy	1994
Adam Robinson	1995-1997
Helen and Bill Krueger	1998-2000
Doug Klassen	2000-June 2019
Donna Dinsmore (Intentional Interim)	July 2019-2022
Bill Christieson	March 2022-

Foothills Mennonite Church Membership

Year	Members
1965	87
1975	210
1979	225
1985	262
1989	274
1995	270
2000	278
2020	339

Author(s)	Marlene Epp
Date Published	September 2009

Cite This Article

MLA style

Epp, Marlene. "Foothills Mennonite Church (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. September 2009. Web. 5 Dec 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Foothills_Mennonite_Church_(Calgary,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=175596.

APA style

Epp, Marlene. (September 2009). Foothills Mennonite Church (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 5 December 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Foothills_Mennonite_Church_(Calgary,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=175596.

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