Christ the King United Church Kitchener ON

Christ the King United Church in Kitchener, Ontario is a Christian congregation serving the Kitchener community and seeking, engaging, and encouraging others through a life-changing Christian journey.

We seek to be a loving, friendly community that worships God, and serves others. We place a high priority on teaching from the Bible and following the example of Jesus.

Our vision is to impact and renew Kitchener and beyond with the transforming message of Jesus Christ through words and actions.

Come as you are - we'd love to get to know you.

 

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http://ctking.ca  

 

 

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Christ the King is Wheelchair accessible with free parking beside the driveway in front of the church and at the rear of the church.  

 

 

 

The roots of our church reach back in time to the year 1860 when the United Brethren in Christ of Ohio sent Reverend Downey to the village of Freeport as a missionary. Under the Scriptural leadership and guidance of Reverend Downey a united Brethren Church was erected at Freeport. Sutherland’s County of Waterloo Gazetteer and Directory, 1864, gives us a description of the church:

“A good frame church, occupied by United Brethren, 40×60 feet in size and capable of seating 300 persons, the cost of which was $800.”

Bishop Glossburner dedicated the church early in the year of 1861, and Reverend Downey served as pastor for the next five years.

The church at Freeport continued to grow and flourish until 1889 when dissention over the right of United Brethren Church members to join secret of fraternal societies split the congregation, and the two factions agreed to seperate. The ‘Radicals’ left the Freeport church and built a church at Centerville. The ‘Liberals’ remained at the Freeport church and became affiliated with the Congregational Church of Canada.

With the formation of the United Church of Canada in 1925 by the union of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches in Canada, the Freeport congregation became a founding member of the United Church of Canada.

Centennial services commemorating the dedication of the Freeport United Church were held in the church at 11:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. on June 11, 1961. The 11:00 A.M. service was followed at noon by a picnic style lunch provided by the ladies of the church.

Following the excellent ‘ground work’ conducted by the Reverend Samuel Soper and several lay people, Guelph Presbytery of the United Church of Canada called a meeting to discuss the formation of a United Church in the Kingsdale-Centrerville area of Kitchener. The meeting, presided over by Guelph Presbytery Chairman, Reverend Thomas Ruterford, was held on April 16, 1961 at Howard Robertson public school with approximately 50 people in attendance. At the meeting Reverend Soper reported the results of a survey which indicated that approximately 180 families expressed interest in having a church established in the area.

Among those in attendance, at the meeting, was Mr Lavern Cook, Clerk of Session for the Freeport United Church. Mr Cook stated that the congregation of the Freeport church had expressed interest in becoming a part of the new church. As a result of the meeting a 14-member steering committee, with William Cress as chairman, was elected to look after the formation of a new United Church congregation located n the area.

With the establishment of the new church, the Freeport Church was closed on November 6, 1961. The assets of the Freeport Church were given to the new congregation and the church building was donated to the Ontario Pioneer Village foundation and moved to Doon Pioneer Village, where it was dedicated as a non-denominational church on June 6, 1963.

A list of names for the new church was drawn up and the process of vote chose ‘Christ the King’.

The congregation of Christ the King met for the first time on November 12, 1961 in a portable church erected at the corner of Florence Ave and Guerin Ave in Kitchener. 167 People signed a charter roll of the Church. Approximately one third of those who signed came from the Freeport congregation, one third came from Trinity United Church in Kitchener and the remaining third dame from various United and other denominational churches.

The congregation remained in the portable church for the next few years and then on Palm Sunday, May 19,1967 the cornerstone of a new permanent church was laid at 167 Thaler Avenue in Kitchener. On April 2, 1967 the beautiful little church with 225-seatin capacity sanctuary was dedicated. The Reverend Dr. Keith MacMillian, president of the Hamilton Conference of the United Church of Canada gave a dedicatory sermon.

Reverend Samuel Soper served as the first pastor of the church. Beverly Oaten, Clifford Plant, Lawrence Lewis, Melvin Rose, William Hines, Hendrik Dykman, Roy Daly, Elaine Beattie, Bruce Tombs and Marilyn Burnard have followed Reverend Soper in the pulpit over the years.