Assemblee Chretienne, Cap de la Madeleine, QC

History

Assemblée chrétienne de Cap-de-la-Madeleine, a French open-brethren assembly, was begun in 1947 as a result of the labours of early pioneers such as John Spreeman, Noah Gratton and Paul Boëda. Elsie Scott and Dorothy Kenyon were part of the team as was Sheldon Bard who arrived two years later. It was the fifth French-speaking assembly to see the light of day in La Belle Province. 

After meeting in homes for the first nine months, a property was secured which included a workshop which was transformed into a meeting place complete with wood stove and folding chairs. Affectionately know  as "La Cabane", it served the needs of the assembly for several years. The first province-wide conference for all francophone assemblies was held here in September 1949.  Seated in the front row of a portrait of those in attendance can be seen most of the Lord’s servants labouring in Québec at that time.

The 50s were difficult years for the French work. The spring of 1950 witnessed the riots against believers at nearby Shawinigan Falls. The education of believers’ children, who could with much difficulty remain in the Catholic schools of the province, was a major concern at that time. This assembly established one of the few alternate schools to cope with the situation.

Needless to say, the assembly has had its ups and downs over the years as do all local churches. Most recently, a fire destroyed the building in 2012. A new and enlarged facility has since been erected on the same location.                                

AKA

• Christian Brethren Assembly Hall 1955-1962
• Chapelle Evangelique
• Assemblee Chretienne

Location

• St. Pierre & Fusey +1950-1954
• 225 St. Pierre St. 1955-1969
• 225 Lupien St. 1970-2020+

225 Lupien St. is near Fusey... same address throughout?

Correspondents

• Fernand St. Louis 1947+
• Rolland Lacombe +1950+
• Paul-Henri Boeda (1915-2006) +1954-1956+
• Stan Stanford +1958-1962
• Gerard Dufour 1963-1985
• Michel Pedneault 1986-2020+;

Alumni

• Who’s Who at Assemblee Chretienne, Cap de la Madeleine, QC 1947-2020+

Sources

• Walterick Publishing Assembly Address Books: 1948, 1950, 1954-1956, 1958-1980, 1982-1983, 1985-1987, 1989-2000, 2003-2004, 2006-2008
• ECS Ministries (Emmaus International) Assembly Address Books: 2009-2010, 2013-2014, 2016, 2018, 202
• News of Quebec
• Ancestry.com