First Mennonite Church is a community of followers of Jesus Christ. We are “Mennonite” with historical roots in the Anabaptist wing of the 16th Century reformation, named after Menno Simons, an early leader of this movement which began in 1525. A fundamental conviction of this movement was its commitment to peace. Thus we call ourselves a peace church rooted in this conviction from the early founding mothers and fathers of the Anabaptist movement.
Our denominational affiliation is with Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), a member of the Central District Conference, one of the district conferences that make up MC USA.
With others who call themselves “Mennonite” we take seriously the call to be God’s kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.” We place the teachings of Jesus particularly as recorded in the first four books of the New Testament, commonly called the “Gospels,” central in our commitments with the Old Testament as pointing toward Jesus and the remainder of the New Testament a record of how the church that emerged after Jesus struggled to live out his teachings. We are a community with deep interest in the relationship of faith and life.
Today First Mennonite Church is a community that is diverse in ethnic background. As an inclusive congregation, we welcome all who wish to journey with us. In that journey, we seek to live lives that reflect the life and character of Jesus. We are young and old, we are married and single, and we work in schools, in the fields, in factories, in professional offices, and in our homes.
As a whole, we are a congregation rich in international experience. Many in the congregation have spent significant time in other communities and countries, either in an education-related or church service assignment. As a result, there is a strong interest in the global community and the relationship of this church with the global community.
Our commitments may be summarized in the ‘Mission: Healing and Hope’ statement of MC USA:
God calls us to be followers of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit to grow as a community of grace, joy, and peace so that God’s healing and hope flow through us to the world.
Learn more about us: First Mennonite Church Constitution.