January 27, 2013

185 East Keith Road-2000

Posthumous
First Church of Christ Scientist
North Vancouver, B.C. Canada

"Beautifully sited as a backdrop to the east end of Victoria Park, (in the center of the City of North Vancouver) this elegant structure employs classical elements in a picturesque fashion.  This design is distinguished by the tall proportions of the entry columns, the narrow windows and the engaged corner pilasters.  Architects Honeyman and Curtis paid particular attention to the fine detailing around the entry and the wooden trim around the windows.  Despite its modest size, this building has a great presence due to its location and the character of its design.

146 East 3rd Street (REF 2.)

"In 1912 a small group of Christian Scientists joined to form a Christian Science Society on the North Shore.  They met and held services in a rented house at 1428 Chesterfield Avenue for about one year, and then rented another house at 146 E. 3rd Street.  Toward the end of 1915 the Society moved to 800 Lonsdale Ave.

"In 1923 a property overlooking Victoria Park East was purchased for $600.  In 1925 money was raised, borrowed and financed, some of it from the Trustees of the Mother Church Under the Will of Mary Baker Eddy.  Tenders were invited from various builders, and the lowest bid of $6,980 from Steward & Coltart of Vancouver was accepted.

Front Elevation 

(1925 Building Plan-REF 2.)

"In June 1925 the Society's name changed to First Church of Christ, Scientists, North Vancouver.  The building was completed, and on July 30, 1925 the branch moved into its new location.  The church was dedicated on Sunday, September 8, 1928." (REF 1.)

Side Elevation

(1925 Building Plan-REF 2.)

The sanctuary of the First Church of Christ was on the first floor with large simple rectangular paned windows and the chancel on the east end.  A curved chancel communion rail separated the chancel from the nave. (This was removed when the church was bought by the North Shore Bethel Christian MB Church.)  Some pieces of the chancel furniture are in use in other parts of the sanctuary of the present North Shore Bethel Christian MB Church.

Sanctuary of the Church-2013

North Side Window-2013

On the lower floor of the church was a large social hall with a kitchen.

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"Christian Science is a system of religious thought and practice developed by Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910), based on her reading of the Bible and personal experience, and described in her book Science and Health (1875). The Bible and Science and Health are the central texts of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, which Eddy founded in 1879 in Lynn, Massachusetts. A 1936 census counted nearly 270,000 adherents in the United States; as of 2010 there were believed to be under 100,000 worldwide.

"Christian Scientists believe that spiritual reality is the only reality and that the material world – including sickness and death – is an illusion.  They do not have an anthropomorphic conception of God, or believe in conventional notions of heaven and hell. They define Christ as the divine ideal of man and see Jesus not as a deity, but as Christ's highest human manifestation....

"...in recent years the church has sought to present Christian Science healing as a supplement to conventional medicine, rather than as a replacement for it. 

Side Entrance to Lower Floor "Reading Room"

"The Christian Science Publishing Society publishes a number of periodicals, includingThe Christian Science Monitor, a news magazine that has won several Pulitzer prizes." (Link 2.)  These publications were available at the "Reading Room" in the lower floor of the  First Church of Christ Scientist.

"On 4 January 2008 the congregation (of North Shore Bethel Christian MB Church) purchased the 83 year-old First Church of Christ, Scientist building on East Keith Road, and held their first service there on 9 March 2008." (Link 1.) (See Blog Post February 3, 2013.)

Note: Architects Honeyman and Curtis also designed the 1909 St. John's 
            Anglican Church in North Vancouver. (Link 3.) (See blog Post 9/16/12.)
Photos: Top photo taken in 2000 by SW as part of Year 2000 Photography

                       Project, Your House/Our Home and on file at the North Vancouver
                       Archives.  Other photos taken in 2013 by SW.
Reference 1: Sacred Sites Tour Booklet, 2005, "First Church of Christ Scientist-
                      1925 185 Keith Road East" by Joalyne Percey (CNV).
Reference 2. City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory 1994, page 38 and 39. Link 1: http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/north_shore_bethel_christian
Link 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Science
Link 3: http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/architects/view/1522

Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians throughout the world. Amen (SW.)

                                                                              January 20, 2013

132 East 12th Street, 1968

(North Vancouver Archives Photo #3917)

Posthumous
Foursquare Gospel Lighthouse
North  Vancouver, B.C. Canada

"The early 20th century evangelist was a pioneer of women in religion.  Having experienced a profound religious conversion at age 17, Aimee began preaching across the United States and later, the world.  In 1918, she established her base in Los Angeles, California, where in 1923, the 5,300 seat Angeles temple was dedicated and became the center of her revival, healing and benevolent ministries.  She was the first woman to own and operate a Christian radio station.  Her sermons were the first to incorporate the contemporary communications of that day into her preaching of the Gospel.  From Angelus Temple she performed and extensive social ministry, providing hot meals for more than 1.5 million people during the Great Depression.  She summarized her message into four major points known as “The Foursquare Gospel,” and founded a denomination called The Foursquare Church.

"A graduate of L.I.F.E. Bible College in Los Angeles,  Anna D. Britton moved to Vancouver, B.C. in 1927, established L.I.F.E. Bible College of Canada in 1928 and grew a small group of believers into a congregation (Kingsway Foursquare Church) of nearly 1,000.  Her vision prompted her to extend the Foursquare Gospel to the three western provinces of Canada over which she served as Supervisor for many years." (Link.)   

Foursquare Gospel Lighthouse

(1930 Fire Insurance Map)

The 1930 North Vancouver Fire Insurance Map gives evidence that the Foursquare Gospel Lighthouse was the resident in the British Israel Association building in the 100 block of East 12th Street.  The 1931 and 1934 City Directories list the address of the North Vancouver Tabernacle  as being 130 East 12th Street.  The British Israel Association is also noted in parentheses  at this address.  After these dates  there is no listing in the City Directories  of the Foursquare Gospel Tabernacle being in North Vancouver. 

According to the North Vancouver City Building Permit Book, British Israel was given a permit to build an "Assembly Hall" at 132 East 12th Street in 1926. The City Directory documents and 1930 Fire Insurance Map seem to indicate that this building was used by the Foursquare Gospel Lighthouse at least from 1930 to 1934.  This would be at the time that Anna Britton moved from Los Angeles to Vancouver and brought with her the Foursquare Gospel. (See Note.) 

The 100 block of East 12th Street in the City of North Vancouver was the site of several now Posthumous Churches.  The First Baptist Church was at 161 East 12th Street, 1912-1967 (See Blog Post 10/28/12.) St. Andrew's Presbyterian was at 121 East 12th Street, 1933-1955. (See Blog Post 2/13/11.)  The Jehovah Witness Hall was at 121 East 12th Street, 1955-1976. (See Blog Post 2/13/11.)   This building then became the Black Sheep Restaurant and was demolished in the year 2000 to make way for a small apartment building.

Note: The Kingsway Foursquare Gospel Church could not give confirmation of
            this information.
Photo: North Vancouver Archives Photo #3917.

Link : http://www.foursquare.ca/index.php/2007072018/About-Us/history.html

Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen

Young Nak Presbyterian Church 
Seoul, Korea

"To Church, To Church"

"Yes, two churches in one day. First Jennifer B. and I took the subway to the Presbyterian church.   The European type church held about 1500 worshipers.  It featured stained glass windows, spiral staircases to the balcony, and a choir of 100. 

"We were late for the 10 am English service; we waited at the "foreigner's door" during the first prayer. Then the usher seated us in a special roped off section for "foreigners". We listed to the translation on earphones and put our collection in a velvet bag. In other buildings the total congregation of 10,000 watched the service on TV or attended Bible Classes.

"After the Presbyterian service a man we met on the street led us to the Catholic church.  The 12 o'clock service that we thought would be in English was in Korean.  The church and singing was magestic and beautiful.  We took communion in the aisle and circled the pews to place our offering in an urn type basket on the floor.  The heaters under the pews warmed our feet." (See Reference.)

"Young Nak (YN) Presbyterian Church was founded on December 2, 1945 by 1992 Templeton Prize recipient, Kyung-Chik Han. Inaugurated by twenty-seven refugees from Soviet occupied Korea, Young Nak steadily increased in membership as more refugees sought religious freedom below the 38th parallel.[1] On March 24, 1949, ground was broken for a new facility to replace the building and tent that had become too small for the growing congregation.[2] By the time the new church building was completed in May 1950, membership had increased to over 4,000.[3] By 1992, when Rev. Han was awarded the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, membership had grown to 60,000 (making it, at that time, the largest Presbyterian congregation in the world), excluding 500 sister churches planted by members of the original congregation.[4] 

"In 1998, under the auspices of Rev. Han, who at the time was a Pastor Emeritus, Young Nak gained an English language ministry, International Worship in English, which was founded by an American missionary to Korea, Bill Majors. For his efforts, Majors was made an Honorary Citizen of Seoul in 2005.[5] Presently the senior pastor of YN is Rev. Chul Shin Lee (1997-present)." (See Link 1.)

Photo: Origin unknown.

Link 1:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Nak_Presbyterian_Church
Link 2: http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/07/30/young-nak-presbyterian-church/ (See this link for a photo essay.)
Reference: From the "Seoul Star" a newsletter written by Suzanne Wilson for family and friends during her six week trip to Seoul, Korea in January and February 1996. Suzanne was visiting her daughter who was teaching English.  Jennifer B. was her daughter's roommate and fellow ESL teacher. 

Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen

                                                                                            January 6, 2013

110 Second Street

St. Columba Church
Tofino, British Columbia

"St. Columba Anglican Church sits at the corner of Second and Main Streets tucked behind trees and rhododendrons. The property, consisting of two lots, was purchased for $100, with money that came from people in the community. Records of these pledges are shown in the minutes from a meeting of the Westcoast Mission, dated March 16, 1911.

"The church was built in 1913 with funds sent from England and the instructions to build a church “on the most beautiful spot on Vancouver Island” in the memory of Francis Beresford Wright.

"Rev. George Aitkens was appointed to design and build the church in the style of one he had previously built at Shawnigan Lake. The church was built on cedar posts, a style common to the coast. In 1967 a cement block foundation was put in.

"The rhododendrons were planted in 1925.

"Some of the earliest weddings at the church, performed by the first minister, Rev. L. A. Todd, were those of Nancy Shanker to Sofus Arnet (Dec. 30th, 1913) and Jack MacLeod to Jennie Grice.

"The Church is open to the public for viewing on certain days of the week, check the sign." (See Link 1.)

Interior of Sanctuary

(Link 2.)

In 1970 Laura Wilson was Christened in St. Columba Church in Tofino, B. C.  She wore the white dimity Christening gown made in 1938 by her mother's great aunt, Gusty.  Laura's mother, uncle, sister, and brother had also worn the gown at their Christenings.  Laura's daughter Holly wore the same gown in 2007 for her Christening at St. Richard's Anglican Church in North Vancouver.

Photo: Taken in Tofino, B.C. in 2005 by SW.
For Interior Photos See Link 1: http://marnierecker.com/tofino_photography_wedding_portrait/2011/08/desirae-corey-tofino-wedding-photography/
Link 2: http://www.tofinotime.com/articles/A-T702-09frm.htm

Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen