Bethel Chapel, Pointe Claire, QC

Bethel Community Church¹, formerly Bethel Chapel, was launched in the Fall of 1957, on Coolbreeze just off of Highway 20 in Pointe St-Claire, on the western end of the island of Montreal. Brethren from Rosemount and Cote St-Luc were instrumental in its beginning. By 1963 the congregation had grown and was able to build a little church on the corner of Dieppe and Hastings. As the church grew, a balcony was added in 1977, then a 30-foot addition was constructed in 1979 for the Sunday school and nursery. Even with these additions, by 1981 it had become impossible to seat everyone in the main auditorium, so closed circuit TV was installed in the basement for the overflow, a rather unsatisfactory solution for a growing church! A year later as many as seventy people were accommodated in the overflow, and dual services started in the new year. 

By 1985 the congregation had completely outgrown the present facilities and in September two thirds of the congregation left to begin a new work, Westview Bible Church in nearby Pierrefonds. Two years later, Bethel survived a disastrous fire. They were kindly taken in by friends down the road at St. Augustine’s Anglican Church until renovations were completed. In 2020, Faith Community Bible Church in nearby Beaconsfield, merged with Bethel to form Bethel Community Church. Civil pastors include Joseph Dumka (1958-1965), Murray MacKay (1965-1977), Douglas Draper (1967-1969), Keith Anthony Price (1969-1977), John Wylam Price (1977-)

In addition to the foregoing persons, those associated with this meeting at one time or another include, among others, Ralph Benner, Lawrence Burridge, W. J. Hamilton, James B. Howitt, James R. Moss, Robert J. Skelcher, Leslie Tulett, R. Bacon, Joseph Kass, Richard Kimoff, Richard Neil, George Sloan, Phil McKnight, Bill Lines, Roy Langley.

SOURCES

¹ Visit the website at bethelcommunity.ca