College Drive Community Church (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada)
The College Drive Community Church (originally Community Fellowship) began worship services on 4 February 1979 with approximately 100 persons in attendance. A charter service of 64 members was held in March and in June the congregation was officially accepted into the Alberta Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, followed by acceptance into the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in July. Most of the early members came from the Lakeview Mennonite Brethren Church where Henry Unrau was pastor and where serious tensions had developed. Unrau served as interim pastor of the new group for the first six months.
Worship services were originally held in the facilities of the Church of God, which soon proved to be inadequate. For the next year worship services were held in the Agnes Davidson School, followed by another move to the vacated premises of the Lethbridge Pentecostal Assemblies. A fire in on 9 April 1981, destroyed the premises. Reluctantly the congregation moved to the Wilson Junior High School. Significant growth allowed the congregation to acquire a 7½ -acre plot and begin phase one of the construction of a sanctuary in April 1983 with completion by March 1984. In 1988 phase two, consisting of a two-story education wing, was completed.
College Drive Community Church initially placed a strong emphasis on lay leadership and home Bible studies. In 1987 the congregation decided to adopt a structure consisting of a Board of Elders with each elder in charge of a care group. The congregation also developed a strong Sunday school program and boys and girls clubs. Music also played a significant role in the worship services.
Bibliography
Penner, Peter. No Longer at Arm's Length: Mennonite Brethren Church Planting in Canada. Winnipeg, MB: Kindred Press, 1987: 146-147. Available in full electronic text at: https://archive.org/stream/NoLongerAtArmsLengthMBChurchPlantingInCanadaOCRopt?ref=ol#mode/2up.
Archival Records
Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Additional Information
Address: 2710 College Drive South, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 6K5
Phone: 403-320-1652
Website: College Drive Community Church
Denominational Affiliations:
Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
Alberta Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
Pastoral Leaders at College Drive Community Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Henry Unrau | 1979 |
| Ted Klassen | 1980-1986 |
| Abe Block | 1987-1990 |
| Ben Heppner (interim) | 1991 |
| Bob Rempel | 1992-1993 |
| Craig Ginn (interim) | 1994 |
| Herman Plett | 1995-2001 |
| Tim Thiessen | 2002-2007 |
| Brent Miller | 2007-present |
Members at College Drive Community Church
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1979 | 64 |
| 1985 | 195 |
| 1995 | 313 |
| 2000 | 395 |
| 2010 | 67 |
| 2015 | 79 |
Maps
Map:College Drive Community Church (Lethbridge, Alberta)
| Author(s) | Abe J Dueck |
|---|---|
| Date Published | November 2012 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Dueck, Abe J. "College Drive Community Church (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. November 2012. Web. 23 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=College_Drive_Community_Church_(Lethbridge,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=167868.
APA style
Dueck, Abe J. (November 2012). College Drive Community Church (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 23 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=College_Drive_Community_Church_(Lethbridge,_Alberta,_Canada)&oldid=167868.
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