Laurentian Wesleyan Church

Introduction

Laurentian Wesleyan Church is a Christian church located in [http://www.city.north-bay.on.ca North Bay, Ontario, Canada] It is a part of the [http://www.ccdwesleyan.com Central Canada District] of [http://www.wesleyan.org The Wesleyan Church.] It’s vision of, “Helping people to connect with God and each other in loving ways,” has been the driving force for its existence.

Contact information

Location 529 McKay Avenue, North Bay, Ontario, Canada, P1B 7V7Phone Number: 705-494-9710E-Mail: [e-mail]: [http://www.laurentianchurch.com www.laurentianchurch.com]

The Beginning's of Laurentian Wesleyan Church

Laurentian Wesleyan Church began around July, 1934 when Rev. W. J. Major who was already working on a church plant in Powassan, Ontario came to North Bay to work with the initial nucleus of support for Laurentian Wesleyan Church. The first services were held in the home of Mrs. Creighton who was a resident of North Bay. In the beginning the people of Laurentian Wesleyan Church met in various places located in North Bay. First they met in the Orange Lodge Hall, then in a Pentecostal church that was on Worthington Street East. In 1938 Laurentian Wesleyan Church moved to 43 (now 157) Worthington Street East which was a former boarding house. The church continued to grow and at the beginning of July, 1940 Rev. R. L. LeRoy became the first resident pastor of Laurentian Wesleyan Church. The congregation continued to grow and the church again moved in the late 1940’s under the leadership of Rev. S. L. Summers. They moved to a location on the corner of Worthington Street West and Fraser Street. By 1956 the need for an even larger facility was realized and the current property located on McKay Avenue was purchased. The current facility was dedicated on November 22, 1959, at a cost of $50,000. The church facility continues to be located at this location. [History Of The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America In Canada – 1894-1968, written by H. Kielty, August 1984. Pages 99-103.]

Ministers of Laurentian Wesleyan Church

*Rev. W. J. Major 1934-1940
*Rev. R. L. Leroy 1940-1945
*Rev. S. L. Summers 1945-1948
*Rev. I. C. McIntyre 1948-1952
*Rev. H. E. Enty 1952-1953
*Rev. R. L. Leroy 1953-1960
*Rev. F.K. Gordon 1960-1968
*Rev. W. A. Smith 1968-1983
*Rev. J. Warder 1983-1986
*Rev. M. Hutchings 1986-1995
*Rev. B. Demitroff 1995-2007
*Pastor C. Lang 2007-present

Current events

Laurentian Wesleyan Church is growing and changing. Its focus on its vision of, “Helping people to connect with God and each other in loving ways,” has meant that it has had to adapt to the ever changing dynamics of the community in which it exists. Laurentian still upholds the Biblical values that formed the foundation of its beginnings and continues to proclaim the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone. Though the message has stayed the same the format in which it is presented is constantly being adapted to reach people where they are. Laurentian even though being a small church dreams big.

A church like any other organization is no longer limited by geographic location. Laurentian has adapted and worked with the ever changing and growing technological advancements of our society not only to connect with the individuals in our church, or in our community but with people all around the world. We use current technology such as a multimedia projector and up to date sound equipment to improve our worship services. Another example of technology in use at Laurentian Wesleyan Church is the Internet. We use the Internet to stay connected as congregation but also by establishing a website (www.laurentianchurch.com) we have used technology to reach out to our community and beyond.

More than our focus on technology and staying up with the most current technological advancements is our commitment to relationships. Laurentian Wesleyan Church recognizes that relationships are vital for the wellbeing of individuals and society. It is our focus on relationships that helps Laurentian Wesleyan Church be a warm, loving and welcoming place to worship and connect with. Our first focus when it comes to relationships is on our relationship with God. We do this by corporate worship (worshiping together) and by providing ways of discipleship (learning about God and about our faith) such as through our Bible Studies or Membership Classes. Our second focus when it comes to relationships is with each other (those in congregation). For a church to truly be a church we not only have to focus on our relationship with God but we need to constantly be strengthening the bonds of friendship and the connectedness that we share as a church. We do this through fellowship events (get-togethers), through times of sharing before and after church and by personally opening our own lives to each other. Our third focus when it comes to relationships is seeking ways to connect with people outside our church. Laurentian connects with the community in many different ways. We assist the North Bay Food Bank, The Transition House of North Bay and with the North Bay branch of Habitat for Humanity. We reach out even further than that by connecting with missionaries who serve in different areas of the world, by being an active participant with Samaritans Purse’s Operation Christmas Child and by being a collection hub for the Christian Salvage Mission.

It is the hope of Laurentian Wesleyan Church to have a real positive impact on its people and on the community it exists in and with people around the world.