1947–1994.
18 cm of textual records.
Administrative history
Foothills Community Church located in Pincher Creek, Alberta, traces its beginnings to October 18, 1947 when a group of 8 families, through the help of the Coaldale Mennonite Brethren Church leadership organized as a church. There were 19 charter members. (Some of these Mennonite families had been farming at Pincher Creek since 1935.) After organizing as a church, they held weekly worship services and operated a Sunday School for the children. They maintained close ties to the Coaldale M.B. Church for a number of years. On their own however, they constructed their first meeting place which was dedicated on Oct. 23, 1949. During the late 1940s, a several refugee families arrived, having been sponsored by families of the Pincher Creek church. Not all of these “homeless” remained at Pincher Creek due to lack of employment, but by 1950, the church membership had increased to 28 members. Throughout the 1950s this church, known as the Pincher Creek M.B. Church, remained the smallest M.B. congregation in Alberta.
The spiritual leader of the early group was David Duerksen with Alfred Bensler serving as the assistant. In 1968, the Alberta M.B. Conference Missions Committee placed George and Elma Reimer in Pincher Creek to assist the small congregation. The meeting place was moved into the Town of Pincher Creek from its rural location and re-dedicated on Nov. 10, 1968. In 1972 the original name of this church, Pincher Creek Mennonite Brethren Church, was changed to Foothills Gospel Chapel. (The name changed again in 1986 to Foothills Community Church.) The Reimers served until July 1975. In July 1976 Victor Nickel became the pastor and served until the end of July 1981. By this time the church was no longer under the program of the Alberta M.B. Conference committee for Church extension, the predecessor of the Home missions committee. H.P. Nickel served as pastor from 1981 to 1983, when Gary Andres accepted the call. Gary Andres served until 1991. Ed Schmidt began as pastor in 1992.
Scope and content
This fonds consists of the following series: Congregational meeting minutes, church council meeting minutes, membership registers, constitutions, youth executive records and financial records. The earlier materials (i.e. 1947–1980) are originals except for the church registers. The files from 1985–1994 are photocopies. The originals were returned to the church.
Custodial history
These materials were acquired by Dr. Abe Dueck in 1995 during his trip to visit Alberta MB Churches.
Notes
- Volume 339.
- Described by Alf Redekopp, [1995?], updated by Conrad Stoesz August 2004.
- Location: Volume 339, also the records are classified under the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches as BA512.
- Further accruals are expected.
- Acc. No. 1995-91, 1995-92.
- Finding aid consists of a file list.
- No restrictions on access.
- Language: German and English.
Textual file list
Volume 339
1. Constitutions.
3 items 197-? -- 1986, 1988
2. Familien Verzeichnis [family register].
1 cm of textual records. -- 1947–1968
3. Record of Membership [membership register].
1 cm of textual records. -- 1968–1992
4. Congregational meeting minute book.
80 pp. -- 1947–1955
5. Congregational minutes (rough draft, later recopied).
2 notebooks. -- 1947–1951
6. Congregational minutes.
6 notebooks . --1947–1962
7. Annual Congregational minutes.
2 cm of textual records. -- 1976–1981
8. Congregational meeting minutes and reports.
3 cm of textual records. -- 1985–1994
9. Church council meeting minutes.
1 cm of textual records. -- 1976–1980
10. Church council meeting minutes.
3 cm of textual records. -- 1985–1993
11. Youth Executive records.
1 cm of textual records. -- 1978–1980
12. Duplicate receipt book.
1 item. -- 1968–1975
13. Ordination response of Pastor Gary Andres.
12 pp. -- 1990
