[[Christian Community La Promesse, Sherbrooke, QC|Communauté Chrétienne La Promesse]], Sherbrooke, Estrie, Southeast [[Quebec|Québec]], [[Canada]] is a French open brethren assembly founded in 1946.
This assemblyCommunauté chrétienne La Promesse, formerly Assemblée chrétienne de Sherbrooke. was the fifth French assembly to be established in the province. It began in 1946, the first official meeting being held on January 6<sup>th </sup>in a private home. Meetings were soon moved to the basement of Grace Chapel in Sherbrooke’s north ward. The first official meeting was held on Sunday, January 6th of that year.
That fall a gospel radio program, with [[Arnold Reynolds]] at the microphone, was launched, instrumental from the first outset and for many years. He arrived from Montréal in 1939 and immediately began following up requests for New Testaments that had come in as a result of its kind anywhere in a postal tract distribution effort on the province part of English assemblies in the French languageOntario. It was carried over Absent during the local station CHLT war years while serving in Sherbrooke and continued for three and a half years until the program was ejected from RAF, his efforts were furthered by [[John Spreeman]] who spent significant time in the air area, particularly in the spring final year of 1950 under pressure the war. About the same time, [[Emmanuel Laganière]], together with his family, came from Montréal and settled in Sherbrooke to give a helping hand, visiting homes throughout the area. A stall set up by [[Grace Chapel]] at the religious authoritieslocal fair, at which he had participated, had initially attracted his attention.
In February 1951, Following the assembly moved into rented quarters at 23 King Westwar, a busy Arnold Reynolds returned to Sherbrooke thoroughfare and was soon joined by [[Norman Buchanan]], recently arrived from Ontario. Norman took employment as an engineer with high hopes that their greater visibility would draw more visitors to their doors. This proved not to be the case Ingersoll Rand andsoon married Marion Thomas, when two years later already serving the landlord requested them to move to another and smaller room Lord in the same building, Quebec. Later they declined. For would join the next several months, until October, the assembly met at staff of [[Bethel Bible School]]. This arrangement proved to be impractical due to its being located too far from the centre of town.
When another store front facility became availableIn the fall of 1946 a gospel radio program, with Arnold Reynolds at the assembly moved againmicrophone, in November 1952, to a new downtown locationwas launched. This had a good window which could be used for gospel displays, and was the first of its size was also quite suitablekind in the French language anywhere in the province. It proved to be was carried over the local station CHLT in one of Sherbrooke and continued for three and a half years until the program was ejected from the very best locations air in town, a place where hundreds the spring of people passed daily on foot on their way to work1950 under pressure from the religious authorities.
In January 1956February 1951, the assembly made moved into rented quarters at 23 rue King ouest, a final busy Sherbrooke thoroughfare with high hopes that their greater visibility would draw more visitors to their doors. This proved not to be the case and permanent , when two years later the landlord requested them to move to its newly-constructed chapel on Désormeaux Street another and smaller room in the eastern part of the citysame building, they declined. Most of For the work had been done by members of next several months, until October, the assembly with financial help met at Bethel Bible School. This arrangement proved to be impractical due to the school being secured through a loan located too far from [[Stewards Foundation]]the centre of town.
Over the yearsWhen another store front facility became available on rue Belvédère, the assembly has experienced its proverbial “ups and downs”moved again, one high point coming in the late 70s and early 80s following on the heels of Quebec’s ''Quiet Revolution''. Attendance at the chapel increased dramaticallyNovember 1952, thanks in part to a Coffee House program carried on in new downtown Sherbrookelocation. Not This had a few came good window which could be used for gospel displays. It proved to know be in one of the Lord through this effortvery best locations in town, some eventually going a place where hundreds of people passed daily on foot on their way to become leaders in the French work throughout the province. The facilities were eventually expanded to meet the needs of a growing assembly.
With In January 1956, the assembly made a final and permanent move to its newly-constructed chapel on Désormeaux Street in the eastern part of the city. Most of the construction work had been done by members of the assembly under the passing watchful eye of Arnold ReynoldsNorman Buchanan, with financial help being secured through a loan from [[Norman BuchananStewards Foundation]] . Over the years, the assembly experienced its proverbial “ups and others who were part downs.” One of the foundation high points came in the late 70s and early 80s following on the heels of Quebec’s ''Quiet Revolution''. Attendance at the chapel increased dramatically, thanks in part to a Coffee House activity carried on in downtown Sherbrooke. Many came to know the Lord through this effort, some eventually going on to become leaders in the French work elsewhere in the province. In response to increasing pastoral responsibilities, [[Claude Quéval]] and his wife Muriel were commended to the work at the chapel in October 1979. The facilities were expanded in 1983 to meet the needs of a growing assembly. Five years later a sister assembly, Source de Vie (now [[Église du Mont-Bellevue]]), was begun in nearby Lennoxville to further relieve the problem of overcrowding. In 1993 the workQuévals moved on. Since then, this elder-led assembly has again carried on without a full-time commended worker. With the passing of Norman Buchanan (1996) and Arnold Reynolds (2004) as well as other early participants, new leadership came has continued to come on the scene. In 2006, a sixtieth anniversary celebration brought together many who had, at one time or another, been part of the this local assembly. Today, the assembly finds work continues, often finding itself to be a place of refuge and/or temporary passage for hurting Christians from other congregations.
==AKA==