First Mennonite Church is a Mennonite congregation in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Established as a faith community in the 1930s, it formally organized as a church in the 1940s under the name Scarboro Mennonite Church before adopting its current name[1][4]. The congregation originated when young Mennonite women migrated to Calgary for domestic work during the Great Depression, initially gathering at the home of Peter B. Epps for worship[2][5].

In 1944, the Mission Boards of the Canadian and Alberta Conferences designated Calgary as a mission station, appointing Reverend J.J. Sawatzky to lead services in rented halls[1][2]. By 1946, the congregation purchased the former Scarboro United Church building on 17th Avenue SW, marking its official establishment as Scarboro Mennonite Church[2][5]. Membership expanded significantly post-World War II with an influx of Mennonite refugees, families, and retirees, leading to the construction of a new facility on Richmond Road SW in the 1950s and the adoption of the name First Mennonite Church[1][3].

The church has maintained a strong emphasis on refugee sponsorship since its founding, reflecting its early identity as a community shaped by displacement[1]. It has been affiliated with Mennonite Church Alberta and Mennonite Church Canada since the mid-20th century[3]. Leadership has included ministers such as Jacob Wiebe (1970–1993) and Caleb Kowalko (2018–present)[3]. Membership peaked at 339 in 1986 before declining to 156 by 2020[3].

[1] https://mcab.ca/calgaryfirstinfo [2] https://calgaryfirstmennonite.ca/about-us/history [3] https://gameo.org/index.php?title=First_Mennonite_Church_%28Calgary%2C_Alberta%2C_Canada%29 [4] https://archives.mhsc.ca/index.php/first-mennonite-church-calgary-alberta-2 [5] https://albertaonrecord.ca/first-mennonite-church-calgary-fonds;rad?sf_culture=en