Eglise Evangelique de Girardville, QC
Contents
History
Assemblée évangélique de Girardville, Girardville, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Central Québec, Canada, is the oldest French open brethren assembly in the province. Established in the summer of 1934, it continues to the present day, a monument to God’s faithfulness and to the perseverance of the saints. Its history is well-documented in Ebb and Flow: A History of Christian Brethren Churches in French Canada as well as in Pionniers de l’Évangile au Québec : 75 ans d’histoire et de souvenirs, the latter published in 2008.
The people of this tiny community in the north of the province first became dissatisfied with the Catholic Church simply because the priest decided to have the church built at the village which is four miles from where the earliest settlers lived rather than on the corner where it would not be too far for everyone. The sacramental vessels had been taken from the Chapel and when the priest came to take out the benches and statutes he did not come and ask for the key but broke in by a window. He was seen by Mrs. Pierre Doucet who ran to the nearest neighbours to solicit help. The women, it seems, were the worst, threatening the priest with a canoe paddle if he dared touch one of the benches. The whole affair was subsequently taken to court, with the final decision coming down in favour of the people over the priest.
About the same time, a Mr. B. had sent for a New Testament advertised in Dupuis Brothers catalogue. On receipt of this he found that it contained an address to which one could write, asking questions about this book and its teaching. The community gathered together and decided that it would be a good idea to send for a French-speaking minister to come to preach to them, seeing as they could not have their church where they wanted it. An advertisement was printed in Le Soleil, the French newspaper of Quebec City, asking for a Protestant minister who could speak French.
Mr. John Spreeman was at that time with Noé Gratton in Montreal, looking to the Lord for guidance. He carried on a considerable correspondence with these people and, having further assurance of the Lord's will in the matter, came to Girardville together with Mr. Gratton in the early spring of 1933. They were able to board with one of the French Canadian families and from there visited among the people and held meetings in the homes upon invitation.
The first Sunday they were there, Mr. Spreeman preached in the little Catholic chapel and all the community gathered to hear these English ministers who spoke French and who were going to teach them what they had read in this New Testament. His subject was that of the much-adored Virgin Mary of the Catholic church. This being a very tender spot to the Catholics, many went home feeling he had spoken against the one thing that would get them into Heaven. Others were quite taken with what they heard but could not consider accepting him or his teaching because he did not make the sign of the cross. Others, pretending to be quite in favour in their presence, gathered their children around them on arrival home and went through the beads that they might not lose sight of the fact that salvation came, as they believed, through the Virgin Mary.
During that first visit a priest from Albanel had detectives sent from Quebec to find out just what these men were teaching. They were invited into the home and Mr. Spreeman and Mr. Gratton, mistaking them for some of the neighbours, proceeded to speak with them about the Gospel and before leaving had prayer with them. They heard nothing further from these men, so apparently felt that they had found nothing to merit legal intervention.
Their first visit lasted about three weeks but they returned in the summer staying with the same family. In the day time they worked with the men in the fie1ds, often finding opportunities to chat with them. Their evenings were spent in speaking with those who gathered in the various homes. Many of the men who came to listen were often drunk and would try desperately to defend their church; nevertheless, through these discussions many were drawn to the Gospel and gradually one here and one there were saved. It meant a great deal to these people to take their stand for Christ. Some were thrown out of their homes and the persecution from their friends was great but once the step had been taken they were filled with joy that they had found the Truth. To some it meant joy and happiness but to others, as in the apostles' day, it meant that these two preachers, a menace to the Catholic faith, must be gotten out of the community by some means or other.
Among those saved during this second visit was the mayor's wife. This was no little insult to his dignity and position in the community; so he, with a few others, encouraged by the priest, invited the preachers to a meeting up a side road where there were very few houses. Mr. Spreeman and Mr. Gratton, feeling that no opportunity should be lost, consented to go. On arrival they thought it strange that no women were present and sensed that the men were uneasy. A lot of coming and going, muffled talking and strange behaviour was soon explained when a truck pulled up with armed, masked men who stalked into the room and ordered the two men to get into it. All their books, tracts and Bible were taken from them and never seen again. The two were driven to Normandin, about ten miles away, where other men, under advice of the priest, tried forcing them to promise to leave the community.
Failing to be intimidated, Spreeman and Gratton were taken to St. Félicien where they took a hotel room for the night. The following day they were back in Girardville. However, at that point, they felt it might be best to leave the community for a time until the contempt and excitement quietened. Before long, however, they were back again to continue the work the Lord had led them to begin. The following summer, 1934, several were baptized and a small group of ten or twelve gathered to remember the Lord in the breaking of bread. The assembly had officially begun.
A school was added in 1937 for the education of the children of those who had left the Roman Catholic faith. This was continued until 1980. In 1943, a property was secured on land owned by local First Nations people for the burial of believers who could no longer be laid to rest in the consecrated grounds of the Catholic church. The present building, constructed in 1948 to house the Salle Évangélique (Gospel Hall), was enlarged by the addition of a basement in the 1980s.
AKA
- Salle Evangelique +1965-1986
- Eglise des freres chretiens 1987-2003
- Assemblee Chretienne 2004-2010+
- Eglise Evangelique de Girardville +2013-2020+
Locations
- home of Edgar Rodolphat Doucet (b. 1902 Magog, QC) +1943-1948+;
- home of Victor Leon St. Gelais @ Albanel (b. 1883) +1950-1972;
- 1075 rang Notre Dame +1982-1989
- 1081 rang Notre Dame 1990-2020+
Correspondents
- Edgar Doucet +1943-1948+
- Victor St. Gelais +1950-1970
- Emma St. Gelais 1971-1972
- R. Boulianne @ Albanel 1973-1980+
- Leonard Doucet +1982-2008
- Regis Neron 2009-2020+
Alumni
Sources
- Walterick Publishing Assembly Address Books 1943, 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, 2020
- News of Quebec
- Coppieters, Joël, Réunis au nom du Seigneur Jésus, unpublished manuscript, 2003