Submitted
One Hundred years ago, construction began on what is now First United Church.
We, at First United Church are celebrating the strength of this building and the strength it has passed on to the congregation.
When first built, it was known as Knox Presbyterian Church. Next door to the church was the Manse which was the residence for the minister. In 1947, a building was purchased from the Airport and moved in behind the manse to accommodate the growing number of children that attended Sunday School. By this time, the Metropolitan Church and Knox Presbyterian had amalgamated on July 1, 1943 and became known as Swift Current United in 1944. First United Church acquired its permanent name in December of 1958.
The Christian Education Centre (now known as Knox Hall) became a reality in 1962. The CE Centre provided plenty of room for Sunday School classes, offices for ministers, secretaries, a space for mid-week groups to meet, and a gymnasium that could double as a facility for large gatherings such as fall suppers, anniversaries and birthday parties. When the manse and the building purchased from the Airport grew old and required repairs and renovations, a decision was made to replace them with our most recent addition - Metropolitan Place. This is how our entire building came to be.
First United Church has stood tall through the most vicious of wind storms, and, except for the 'odd' leaky roof, is still structurally sound. She was declared a Heritage Building and it is our position to preserve that title.
On Oct. 20-21 we will celebrate her beauty and strength an all that she means to us as a place to worship God and gather with friends. The community is invited to join in this celebration. Guided tours will occur on the afternoon of Oct. 20, followed by a catered meal at 5 p.m. Advance tickets are available at the Church office.
Details in this article are taken from the book "Except The Lord Do Build This House" written by Baden Campbell in 1975.
