Northview Community Church (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada)
In early 1980 several pastors met with the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches Board of Church Extension and requested that a new church in the Abbotsford/Clearbrook area of British Columbia be established. Receiving approval, a meeting of all interested people was called for 27 March 1980 in the Columbia Bible Institute school chapel. The purpose and function of the new church was outlined at this meeting. A steering committee of 6 men was organized and each was given a particular area of responsibility and met once a week to plan for the worship services.
The congregation held its first service in September of 1980 in the Mennonite Educational Institute chapel. On 23 November 1980 a charter service was held, with 58 charter members joining the church at that time. The search for a pastor also began at this time and hired Merv Boschman, at that time of Fresno, California, in March 1981. On 7 February 1982 the congregation decided to look for property on which to build a permanent facility and purchased 10 acres of land.
The congregation grew considerably under the leadership of Vern Heidebrecht, becoming one of Canada's largest evangelical congregations. By 1996 the church had introduced a fourth service (two on Saturday evening and two on Sunday) and had an average weekly attendance of 3,000. In 2000 the congregation had an average weekly attendance of 3,800 at four services, and the church employed 12 pastors and 35 full-time staff.
In 2023 Northview's main campus was still located on Downes Road, with a Saturday evening service and two Sunday services in the Worship Centre and three Sunday services in the West Court. A Saturday evening service was held at the Central Abbotsford Campus, which met at Mill Lake Church, and two Sunday services were held at the East Abbotsford Campus, which met at Abbotsford Christian School. A fourth location, located in Mission, held two Sunday morning services in the church that formerly belonged to Northside Community Church, and MB church that voted in 2014 to become part of Northview.
Bibliography
Mennonite Brethren Herald (17 July 1987): 24; (27 May 1988): 25; (28 June 1991): 18-19; (17 July 1992): 21-22; (28 August 1992): 17-18; (3 December 1993): 18; (17 March 2000): http://old.mbherald.com/39-06/pe.html.
Additional Information
Address: 32040 Downes Road, Abbotsford, BC V4X 1X5
Phone: 604-853-2931
Website: Northview Community Church
Denominational Affiliations:
British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1981-present)
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1981-present)
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1981-2002)
Northview Community Church Leading Ministers
| Minister | Years |
|---|---|
| Merv Boschman | 1981-1987 |
| Vern Heidebrecht | 1988-2003 |
| Justyn Rees (interim) | 2003-2005 |
| Jeff Bucknam | 2008-2021 |
| Mark Burch | 2021-present |
Northview Community Church Membership
| Year | Members | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 58 | |
| 1985 | 189 | |
| 1990 | 407 | |
| 1996 | 1,148 | |
| 2000 | 1,791 | 3,800 |
| 2003 | 1,948 | |
| 2005 | 1,700 | 2,400 |
| 2010 | 1,100 | 2,364 |
| 2015 | 1,518 | 3,340 |
| 2020 | 2,484 | 5,000 |
Maps
Map:Northview Community Church, Abbotsford BC
| Author(s) | Andrew Klager |
|---|---|
| Richard D. Thiessen | |
| Date Published | June 2023 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Klager, Andrew and Richard D. Thiessen. "Northview Community Church (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2023. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Northview_Community_Church_(Abbotsford,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175770.
APA style
Klager, Andrew and Richard D. Thiessen. (June 2023). Northview Community Church (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Northview_Community_Church_(Abbotsford,_British_Columbia,_Canada)&oldid=175770.
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