May 18, 2014

131 East Kings Rd.

WestCoast Baptist Association

North Vancouver, B.C. Canada

The 1993 District Heritage Inventory, Page 117.  "1915-Secondary List-This plain and modest church is simply detailed in the Craftsman tradition, with triangular eave brackets, exposed rafter end, and pointed verge-boards. Originally the Bethel Methodist Church...the name was soon changed to North Lonsdale Methodist,"  then in 1925  until 1953 North Lonsdale United Church.

According to the Building Permit book at the North Vancouver Archives In 1954 it became Kingscrest (Kings Road-REF.) Baptist Church in 1954. The Building Permit book also  lists a $950 church repair to Kingcrest Baptist Church at 131 East Kings Rd., Southern Baptist Church. 

"The building is owned by Kings Road Baptist Church (which you referenced when you wrote about Westlynn Baptist Church in 2012), and has been rented out to various churches over the years. The WestCoast Baptist Association (our denomination’s office for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and Whistler) is the current tenant and has been here since 2007. 

"A church named One Spirit Mission Church did meet in this building for a few years, as a tenant of Kings Road Baptist Church, ... Also First Baptist Church... rented for many years. (They were not part of the Capilano Southern Baptist Association.) The WestCoast Baptist Association (formerly Capilano Southern Baptist Association) has rented the building since 2007." (REF) 

"We started out as the Capilano Southern Baptist Association (1955-2008).On October 9, 1955, thirty messengers from four Southern Baptist churches in Greater Vancouver met to organize the Capilano Southern Baptist Association. Seventy people attended the meeting at Grace Baptist Church.  The new association voted to assume responsibility for the Baptist Student Union and to take over the publication of The Baptist Horizon begun by Kingcrest church. The first Southern Baptist association had been founded.  Seven "Canadian Southern Baptist" churches across three provinces reported a total of 466 members and had baptized 127 in the year ending September 30, 1955.   A new denomination had begun in Canada. "The name was changed to WestCoast Baptist Association in the annual meeting in October 2008 and WBA was registered as a non-profit society in BC." (Link.) Westlynn Baptist Church (See Blog Post 4/1/12.) is a member of the WestCoast Baptist Association.  It is west of Mountain Highway in North Vancouver District.  The sanctuary/meeting hall has been divided into meeting rooms to meet the needs of the Association. (REF.)

For further information on First Evangelical Baptist Church at 131 East Kings Rd. see Blog Post 3/23/14.

Photo: Taken in 2010 by SW.
Reference: e mail from Janet Campbell, Office Administrator, WestCoast 
               Baptist Association.

Link: http://www.westcoastbaptist.ca/

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Prayer

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