Fonds F0504 - Central United Church fonds

The first Methodist church in Calgary, Alberta was built of logs in 1877 at 6th Avenue and 6th Street SE and sold in 1880. A wood and canvas church was built later east of the Elbow River and was moved to 8th Avenue and 4th Street SE in 1883. A larger frame building was built at 7th Avenue and 1st Street SE in 1884. A new brick church was built in 1889 at 6th Avenue and 2nd Street SW. The first resident ministers were James Turner (1883-1884) and Joshua Dyke (1884-1886). Sunday school classes began in 1884 with James A. Lougheed as superintendent (1884-1888). The Methodist Ladies' Society led by Mrs. W.H. Cushing, and the Blue Ribbon Temperance Society both began in 1885. For a number of years the congregation and the Presbyterian congregation operated a common Sunday school and choir. By 1904 Calgary Methodist Church was a large and important congregation which had a Woman's Missionary Society, a Young Men's Club (Men's Own), and an AOTS (As One That Serves) men's club. To accommodate the growing congregation a new church, Central Methodist, was built at 7th Avenue and 1st Street SW with a seating capacity of 1,300 and dedicated February 1905. Its first minister was George W. Kerby (1903-1911). The church was gutted by fire in 1916, but refurbished and reopened in 1917. The church's name was changed to Central United Church at the time of church union in 1925. A Christian education wing was added in 1948, and a new chapel in 1952. By 1953 Central United was the largest United Church congregation in Canada. For further information see Calgary Central United Church, They Gathered at the River / Central United Church : Calgary, 1975.