Matsqui Mennonite Brethren Church(2)
Matsqui Mennonite Brethren Church was founded in 1945. After starting in a converted farmhouse, its congregation worshiped in a sanctuary, which sadly burned down in 1959. A new church was constructed, but declining membership due to changing demographics led to its dissolution in 1975.
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Matsqui Mennonite Brethren Church was established in 1945 in Matsqui village, initially meeting in a converted farmhouse. With Abram D. Rempel as the founding leader, the congregation started with 71 members who had separated from the South Abbotsford Mennonite Brethren due to distance. Construction of a dedicated sanctuary began in 1947 but was interrupted by the 1948 flood. During that time, the congregation temporarily met at the Abbotsford airport. The sanctuary was eventually completed in 1950 and dedicated in March of that year. In 1959, the church building burned down, leading to the construction of a new church that was finished in 1960.
Membership in the church grew from 71 to a peak of 200 in 1955, eventually settling at 117 by 1975. The church actively engaged in Christian education and outreach to the surrounding area, establishing Sunday school in Matsqui and constructing chapels in Silverdale and McConnell Creek. However, as the congregation aged, older members retired and sold their dairy farms, while younger generations chose urban living and work. As a result, the church decided to dissolve on September 23, 1975, and the building was sold to a Baptist congregation.
Membership in the church grew from 71 to a peak of 200 in 1955, eventually settling at 117 by 1975. The church actively engaged in Christian education and outreach to the surrounding area, establishing Sunday school in Matsqui and constructing chapels in Silverdale and McConnell Creek. However, as the congregation aged, older members retired and sold their dairy farms, while younger generations chose urban living and work. As a result, the church decided to dissolve on September 23, 1975, and the building was sold to a Baptist congregation.