3/17/13

515 West Windsor Road

Posthumous
The Bridge (Delbrook Baptist) Church
North Vancouver, B.C. Canada


"The beginning of our church go back to post World War II when the Mount Pleasant Baptist church in Vancouver first established a Sunday School on the North Shore.  The original chapel at 515 West Windsor Road and Sunday School rooms were constructed in 1955...and Delbrook Baptist Church was established. (REF.) The Building Permit book at the North Vancouver Archives indicates that a$27,000 permit was issued to Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in 1956.

Original 1956 Chapel-2013

(On left in top photo)

Interior of Original 1956 Chapel                  ( Now the Youth Room.) The Building Permit book at the North Vancouver Archives lists a 1962 church addition at Delbrook Baptist church.  This larger building with its distinctive roof shape (seen in the photo at the top) includes the new sanctuary with a large rear balcony and center peaked roof outlined in a circular fan of beams. Windows march around the top of the walls where they meet the ceiling, emphasizing its octagon shape. 1962 Sanctuary-2013 1962 Sanctuary Balcony 1962 Balcony and Sanctuary Ceiling Detail The stained glass front floor to ceiling windows in both the 1956 Chapel and the 1962 Sanctuary are made up of rectangular panes of yellow, aqua, red and clear glass.  However, those of the 1956 Chapel are much larger and in a random patter.  The stained glass panes in the 1962 Sanctuary are aligned in rows. 1962 Sanctuary Stained Glass Windows-2013 A wooden world map hangs in the narthex of the 1962 Sanctuary.  It was intended as a "missional map" and made by a member of the congregation, Roy Ellerman.  He also made the large wooden cross hanging opposite the clear glass front doors of the building. "Missional Map" by Roy Ellerman "Since 2000 we have repositioned ourselves in order to do a better job reaching people on the North Shore and around the world.  Firstly, we have relocated to Capilano College to better accommodate our space needs for Sunday mornings.  Secondly, we have re-named ourselves as "The Bridge" to better speak our mission of "building bridges into people's lives."  Thirdly, but most importantly, we have created new programs to address the needs of the community....To that end, our long term goal is to purchase property and build a facility which is more suited to serving the community. "Since 2001, we are the mother church for a Spanish Speaking church, Puertas a Biertas, reaching Mexican and South American families from all over the lower mainland." (REF.) The 515 Windsor Road church is also the Sunday worship venue for the North Shore Pacific Grace MB Church. Separate services are in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. (Link 3.) Sign outside 515 Windsor Road Church Note: In 2014 North Shore Pacific Grace MB Church bought the church from The Bridge.  The Bridge bought St. Clara-in-the-Cove. Sign at St.-Clara-in-the-Cove  (See Blog Post 4/3/11.) Reference: 2004 web site http://www.bridgecommunitychurch.ca

Photos: Taken in January 2013 by SW.

Link 1: http://www.bridgenorthvan.ca/
Link 2: http://www.puertasabiertas.ca/
Link 3: http://nspgmbc.org/ns8/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id
Link 4:
http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/north_shore_pacific_grace_mennonite_brethren

Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen (SW.)