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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. 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

Telephone: 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-present

Foothills Mennonite Church Membership

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

©1996-2013 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

To cite this page:

MLA style: Epp, Marlene. "Foothills Mennonite Church (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. September 2009. Web. 18 May 2013. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/F664.html.

APA style: Epp, Marlene. (September 2009). Foothills Mennonite Church (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 May 2013, from http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/F664.html.
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