OUR HISTORY -

RICHMOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

1960 to 2010

-- Celebrating 50 years of God’s Faithfulness --

The history of Richmond Presbyterian Church reaches back to the early days of the pioneers in this part of the world. The first Presbyterian services were held in the home of Hugh McRoberts on Sea Island in 1861. In 1886 a church building was erected and dedicated to the glory of God. In 1889 a preaching station was established on the south side of Lulu Island (No.2 Rd. & Steveston Hwy) and in Steveston itself. In 1906 the South Arm church was built.

By 1910 it became obvious that the Marpole area was where the largest population growth was taking place. The Richmond Presbyterian Church moved to the corner of 71st Avenue and Hudson Street in 1911.  After the 1925 church union controversy and the formation of the United Church of Canada, no Presbyterian church remained on either Sea or Lulu Island.

A Presbyterian presence did not return until 1958 when the Presbytery of Westminster employed a student for the ministry, Mr. Tony Plomp, to survey the island. In 1959 services were started in the Garden City School auditorium and a congregation was constituted on May 29, 1960 with 34 founding members. The congregation eventually moved to the old vacant Richmond United Church (formerly Methodist) at Cambie & River Roads (presently the Chapel in Minoru Park). Soon afterward, property was purchased on No.2 Road and the sod turned on September 9, 1962, with the building dedicated December 16, 1962.  

A minister was appointed by the Board of World Mission in September 1960 and the Rev. Gordon Bastedo began the work of expanding the ministry of the congregation. He served until 1967 and in 1968 the Rev. Tony Plomp of Calvin-Goforth Church in Saskatoon was called. That same year the Marpole congregation amalgamated with the Richmond church. Three of the members of that congregation had been members of the original congregation of the Presbyterian Church on Sea Island (Mr. & Mrs. Gus Grauer and Mrs. Pearl McKay).

In 1970 a church hall was added to the original building, and in 1975 the sanctuary was extended on the west side. In 1981 the east side of the church was extended to its present size.  In 1968 the first manse on Francis Road was purchased. This was sold in 1977 and the present manse at 4020 Lancelot Drive was purchased, now home to our present minister and her family.  In 1996, the congregation purchased the property south and adjacent to the church, at 7151 No.2 Road. This home is presently leased to Hummingbird Ministries (a ministry of healing and reconciliation for First Nations and the Church) of the Presbytery of Westminster, and its Director, the Rev. Mary Fontaine.

Two children raised in the congregation went on to serve in ministry.  Doug Goodwin graduated in 1980 with a Master of Divinity from VST (the first Presbyterian graduating class from VST), was ordained May 20, 1980 at RPC and served his first charge at Elphinstone Presbyterian Church, Elphinstone, Manitoba.  Doug then served for over 20 years as a United Church minister in Vanderhoof, BC. He is presently Executive Secretary of the BC Conference of the United Church of Canada.  Janie Goodwin, received a B.A. from UBC in 1975, then a Master of Education from University of Toronto and a diploma in Christian Education from Ewart College. She served as Director of Youth Ministries in a number of congregations including  First, Knox and St. Aidan’s Presbyterian Churches in New Westminster, St. David’s Presbyterian in Kelowna, and Tsawwassen United Church. After serving 16 years of church work, Janie returned to teaching kindergarten in the Delta School District.  Paddy Eastwood, a long time member of our congregation, is Certified to be Ordained by The Presbyterian Church in Canada and is actively seeking a Call.

Since 1980 the following have served as part-time or full-time assistants: the late Dr. Charles Maclean, the late Dr. William Bell, Rev. Sylvia Cleland, and Mr. Jim Walton. The congregation has also had the privilege of supervising student interns from the Vancouver School of Theology: Mr. Yme Woensdregt, Mrs. Sylvia Cleland, Mr. David Crawford, Mr. Dale Woods, Mr. John Crowdis, and the late Mr. Kris Davidson. During 2003, we welcomed Mrs. Courtney Arntzen and Ms. Julianne Fraley as student interns from Regent College working under the direction of Pastoral Assistant Jim Walton.  In 2004, we again participated in the student intern program at Regent College and welcomed Greg Ellis and Heather Smith to our ministry team.  From September 2006 to April 2007, and continuing our practice of having a ministry intern from Regent College, we welcomed Peter Little to our ministry team and for 2007/08, we welcomed Judy Lang also from Regent College as our ministry intern. From 2008 to 2010 we welcomed Mr. Andy Kuo as our ministry intern from VST.  Judy continues to worship with us, while seeking a Call in the PC/USA, and we hope to have Andy return as an intern for the 2009/10 term.

On July 31, 2004, after serving 36 years in this congregation, the Rev. Dr. Tony Plomp retired. Dr. Plomp continues to serve as a Deputy Clerk of the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.  In August 2004, Mr. Jim Walton resigned as Pastoral Assistant after serving 10 years in this role and is currently Senior Pastor of Burnaby North Baptist Church.  On August 1, 2004, the Presbytery of Westminster appointed two Interim Moderators to lead the congregation during the vacancy period: the Rev. Dr. Stephen Farris, Dean of St. Andrew’s Hall and Professor of Homiletics at the Vancouver School of Theology; and the Rev. R. C. (Bob) Garvin, retired.  In September 2004, the congregation contracted additional ministry personnel to assist during the vacancy: Mrs. Paddy Eastwood, responsible for Pastoral Care, Children, Adult and Family Ministries; and Mrs. Courtney Arntzen, for Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Mrs. Arntzen completed her contract in April 2005, and Mrs. Paddy Eastwood finished her contract in September 2005. 

On October 2, 2005, the Rev. Frances Savill was inducted as minister of Richmond Presbyterian Church, coming to the congregation from Thornbury, Ontario, with her husband, Mark, and children Jonathan, Sarah and Rebekah.  Heather Smith, student at Regent College, was contracted as part time Ministry Assistant responsible for youth programs to assist Rev. Savill, completing her term in the summer of 2006.  The Session and Congregation have worked diligently since the arrival of Rev. Frances Savill and in 2007 began a search for additional ministry staff to fill two part-time positions of Director of Family and Children Ministries and Director of Contemporary Worship.  In January 2008, we welcomed Mat Baker as Director of Contemporary Worship and in 2009 we welcomed Heather Winters as Director of Family and Children Ministries.

During the summer months, and each year since 2002, we have had the opportunity of hiring summer student staff members through a student employment program of the Federal Government of Canada.  We have been blessed with these gifted students:  Heather Coburn, Bryan Imrie (2002); Heather Coburn, Bryan Imrie, Sarah Walton (2003); Sarah Walton, Sarah Newton (2004); Heather Winters, Jared Crossley (2005); Heather Winters, Curt Wilson, Gloria Cheng (2006); Heather Winters, Curt Wilson (2007 and 2008); Bradley Hall and Soelgi Yu (2009); Elizabeth Appenheimer and Regard Booy (2010).

From May 2010 to May 2011 we will celebrate God’s faithfulness throughout our 50^th Anniversary year, with a wide range of special services and activities. And, we have begun to consider potential renovations and additions to our church building. Preliminary drawings have been presented and a Fundraising Steering Committee is in place along with a building/renovation fund which was established in February 2009.  We pray for wisdom and guidance as we discern God’s call for our congregation as we look at various options being presented.

We are blessed to have charter members still in our midst: Betty and Tucker Goodwin, Vi Mar and Bob Gauvreau.  We praise God for the rich history of our congregation, and we celebrate our vision, captured in our 2007 vision statement, as we move into the future to serve God together:  “God gathers us to grow as Christ’s servants sent to each other, our community and the world.”  May God continue to bless the ministries and the people of Richmond Presbyterian Church.                                                                             

Happy 50^th Anniversary!