“The new Beacan Presbyterian in the midst of construction. The congregation is an amalgamation success story.”
This is a good news story.
In 2007, Knox Presbyterian Church in Cannington, Ont., was destroyed in a deliberately – set fire. A year later, the fire marshal told nearby Beaverton Presbyterian that they would have to close their 82 – year – old building or spend close to $1 million upgrading it.
Fortunately, the two congregations had already been discussing the possibility of an amalgamation since 2002.
“After the fire, everything sat dormant for a year,” said Rev. Barney Grace, who was the minister of the Beaverton church at the time. Then, in October of 2009, the two congregations officially came together. They met and worshipped in the Beaverton theatre for two years while a new church—dubbed Beacan Presbyterian—was being constructed on the former site of the unsafe Beaverton church.
When the new building was completed, congregants were invited by telephone for a surprise first service, a week before the official opening on Aug. 28, 2011. The following Sunday, then – moderator Rev. Herb Gale led a celebratory service that attracted more than 600 worshippers, including the mayor of Brock Township, several councillors, members of the community, and two music groups: Revelation, a praise band from Orillia, and the Ulster accordion band from Toronto.
Congregation member Jim Hughes describes the new church as “a modern building to serve the community and surrounding area.” At 12,600 square feet, it is fully accessible to those with mobility problems and boasts meeting rooms, a board room, a modern kitchen, a gymnasium that doubles as a banquet hall, and a youth centre.
The youth centre was an important part of the Beacan vision. The congregations included nearly 40 children and young adults when they were first amalgamated, and the number rose steadily during the construction process. In fact, it is still rising.
“Every week it’s busier than the week before,” said Grace. “There are new faces coming, especially young people with children.”
To address the needs of these young people, Beacan hired a youth pastor, Steve Pauls, who came to them from People’s Church in Toronto. The church runs a free after – school program four days a week that offers sports, tutoring and cooking classes to any young people who walk through the doors. There are also two evening youth groups: Just for You, which serves young people aged 10 to 13, and The Rock, which serves youth aged 14 to 20. One of the most important features of these groups, according to Hughes, is that the young people really want to come, and that they can experience “a church setting without it being ‘forced’ upon them.” It has led to “a marked increase … in families attending Sunday services—both adults and teenagers.”
Of course, Beacan’s community involvement doesn’t stop with youth. The church also hosts a Moms and Tots program, a monthly senior’s luncheon, and a seniors’ exercise program run by the Victorian Order of Nurses. In addition to Grace and Pauls, the staff includes Sylvia Pauls, who works part – time in women’s ministries, and Rev. Malcolm Rice, who served at Knox before the amalgamation and who now works part – time with seniors.
“Our hope is that we will continue to grow and make a spiritual impact on the community in a stronger, more vibrant, outreaching way,” said Grace. “That we won’t just be a service or a social club or a babysitter. That we will make a spiritual impact on the community.”
To achieve this, Beacan needs an army of volunteers. Unlike many churches, it draws those volunteers from both the congregation and the community. One day in October 2011, the Beaverton police station—which happens to be next door to the church—held a special evening dedicated entirely to processing the police checks of Beacan volunteers.
“Seeing all these people standing outside because they couldn’t all get in at the same time… it was a very proud moment,” Grace reflected.
Young as it is, Beacan already has a host of positive stories like the one above—so many that they might seem almost too good to be true to another congregation struggling with transition. How did these two churches negotiate change so smoothly?
Keeping the pastors of both former churches on staff helped. An open process of congregational meetings—both separate and joint—also ensured that every member knew his or her voice was being heard. Another factor is the physical building of Beacan, which honours the histories of both Knox, Cannington, and Beaverton.
“Both cornerstones are part of the foyer,” said Grace. “Each has pews from their own church in the foyer. There are memories from both histories.” Collaboration in the building process also helped every member take ownership of the project. “Both congregations went into the new building together, watching it and helping it to be built together.”
Church closures and amalgamations are becoming increasingly common in the Presbyterian Church, but the subject remains a difficult one for many people. Grace’s advice to others facing an amalgamation is, surprisingly, more practical than spiritual.
“Put all of the paperwork in order, no matter what the paperwork is, whether it’s financial or archives or anything. Put all of that in order before you actually do the amalgamation. You can’t leave things lingering on.”
Beacan has certainly left nothing “lingering on.” With every i dotted, every t crossed, and every police check processed, the church that emerged from tragedy and struggle is moving forward in a spirit of community and co – operation.
“We have people dropping by all the time saying, ‘What a beautiful church … what an addition to the community with a place for our youth to come,'” said Hughes. “There is no doubt that Beacan has a bright future.”
