Southridge Community Church (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)

Southridge Community Church in St. Catharines, Ontario, began services and formally organized in 1979 under the name of Fairview-Louth Mennonite Brethren Community Church. The congregation originated as a daughter congregation of Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church, Grantham Mennonite Brethren Church, and Vineland Mennonite Brethren Church. The first building was the former Fairview public school in Louth Township, located west of the city of St. Catharines. The school was purchased for $81,000 and the church was formed with 49 charter members in 1979. The first public service was held on 3 February 1980 and the church officially opened on 1 June 1980.

When the church was first established, renovations were carried out to create a bright sanctuary, a foyer, and a nursery. In 1983 a new sanctuary with a basement and kitchen was constructed. Further expansion was carried out in 1991.

Continued growth resulted in a relocation to the current location in 2003 and the church changed its name to Southridge Community Church. The church developed a vision for compassion ministries and established a 35-bed, co-ed homeless shelter, services to marginalized seniors, and ministries to single-parent families. The church also developed a vision to become a multi-site church. In 2009 Gateway Christian Fellowship in St. Catharines voted to merge with Southridge and became the North End campus of Southridge in 2010. A Welland campus was launched on 8 November 2009 and in 2012 Southridge adopted Vineland Mennonite Brethren Church as one of their sites.

Bibliography

Mennonite Reporter (3 March 1980): 14.

Mennonite Brethren Herald (1 February 1980): 17; (28 January 1983): 13; (27 May 1988): 52; (22 November 1991): 16; (May 2010): 19; (February 2012): 21.

When Your Children Shall Ask: A History of the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, 1957-1982. 1982: 79-81.

Archival Records

Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Winnipeg, MB: Volume 570.

Additional Information

Address: 201 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines, ON L2T 3J6

St. Catharines Location: 201 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines

Welland Location: Welland Community Wellness Centre, 145 Lincoln Street, Welland

Vineland Location: 3970 Glendale Avenue, Vineland

Phone: 905-682-9901

Website: Southridge Community Church

Denominational Affiliations:

Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1980-present)

Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1980-present)

General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (1980-2003)

Southridge Community Church Membership

Year	Members
1975	66
1985	73
1995	116
2000	168

Author(s)	Marlene Epp
	Richard D. Thiessen
Date Published	January 1989

Cite This Article

MLA style

Epp, Marlene and Richard D. Thiessen. "Southridge Community Church (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. January 1989. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Southridge_Community_Church_(St._Catharines,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=114280.

APA style

Epp, Marlene and Richard D. Thiessen. (January 1989). Southridge Community Church (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Southridge_Community_Church_(St._Catharines,_Ontario,_Canada)&oldid=114280.

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