About Central Christian Church

Who We Are

Central Christian Church is a community of Christ followers who are committed to loving God and people. We strive to help people find a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and His Word. We come from all walks of life, with diverse backgrounds, and yet together we are family. Through our relationships, we encourage one another as we grow in our faith and become more like Jesus. We are also committed to being salt and light within our families, communities, and around the world.

We are a non-denominational church with our foundation in the Restoration Movement.

 

We are part of a fellowship of approximately 5500 independent Christian Churches
and Churches of Christ around the world.
That being said, we are an independent congregation, with elected elders
under the ultimate authority of Christ as Head of the Church.
We take our direction from scripture, which is our final authority.

Everything we do is meant to bring glory to God,
and everything we believe about God comes from His Word.
Whether you have never read the scriptures before,
or are a long time believer, you are welcome.

We desire to know God, through Christ,
and experience the power of His Spirit in our lives.

_______________________________________________________ 


What we believe…

 

GOD

We believe in One God, Who exists in Three distinct and co-equal Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(John 14:9-20; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

We believe that God the Father is the Creator and Sustainer of everything in existence.
(Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3)

JESUS

We believe that God the Son (Jesus Christ), out of love for humanity and creation, came into this world. Jesus was/is both Human and Divine, and He lived a sinless life; He suffered and was crucified as an atonement for all sin; He was raised to life, physically from the dead, on the third day; and He ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of Father God. We anticipate Jesus’ glorious return in victory,
and He will rule forever and ever.
(John 3:16; Philippians 2:6-8; Colossians 1:15-19)

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in God the Holy Spirit, Who convicts us of our sins, Who guides believers to keep God’s word alive by living it out in practical, real ways. The Holy Spirit goes before God on our behalf, and He helps us mature in our relationship with God, through Christ, each and every day.  (John 16:8; Romans 8:26-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Timothy 1:14; Galatians 5:22-25)

THE TRINITY

Thus, there are Three distinct Persons in One Godhead, each of Whom were and are participants in creation.
Every operation of God takes its origin from the Father, proceeds through the Son, and is perfected in the Holy Spirit.
(Gregory of Nyssa on The Trinity)

THE BIBLE

We believe the Bible is inspired by God and is without error. The Bible is God’s final authority for all believers,
and is useful to help us in our daily walk with Him.
(Mark 12:36; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

SALVATION

We believe that sin originated through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and as a result, sin severed the relationship between God and His people. We believe that God, out of deep love for His people, provides us with a way back to restored relationship with Him in Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift from God that can only be received through confession and true repentance of our sins and the profession of our faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour. We believe that salvation is not based on any human ability or effort to “be good enough,” but rather on God’s saving grace and mercy through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and sealed by His Spirit.
(John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:1-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 4:9)

BAPTISM

We believe that baptism by immersion, as modeled by Jesus Christ, is an integral part of our repentance of sin,
and an obedient step in our salvation journey.
(Matthew 3:13-17; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4)

COMMUNION

We believe in the partaking of Communion each week as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for our sins.
We believe that the cup represents the blood Jesus shed for us on the Cross, and that the bread represents Jesus’ Body which was given for us.   (Luke 22:19-20; Acts 20:7)

SERVING

We believe that Jesus commissioned every believer to be a active in: 1) serving and loving God, 2) serving and loving others, while 3) working to keep ourselves healthy and ready for steps 1 and 2 – this co-mission in Christ is constant and ongoing. We believe that Jesus did not send us out on our own to serve, but rather to serve together in our unique skillsets and spiritual giftings. We believe in the promise that Jesus will be with us every step of the way, and that God has gifted each and every person with different talents, skills, and abilities in order to be a part of building His kingdom on earth. We believe that each follower of Jesus should be using his/her God-given gifts to fulfill the Great Commission.
(Matthew 28:18-20; John 12:26; Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 4:11-13)

DISCIPLESHIP

We believe that just as Jesus went and made disciples, so should we, as directed by the Great Commission.
We believe that discipleship is relational and never forced.
(Matthew 28:16-20)

FAITH AND PRACTICE

In all things, the word of the Lord is our ultimate authority. Where the Bible is silent, so should the people be while asking and discerning through prayer for God’s wisdom, direction, and guidance.

CHURCH

The Church is the body of Christian believers wherever they meet. Jesus Christ is the head of His Church.
(Ephesians 1:22-23)

The Church continues the work of our Lord Jesus through evangelism and discipleship to expand the Kingdom of God by equipping Christians to lead by example in exalting the Lord and serving others.


________________________________________________________________

Our Leadership & Staff

Allan Young
Board Chair
    Trip Weiler
    Senior Minister
      Wayne Peters
      Lead Elder

        Elders
        Murray Campbell
        Blair Myers
        David Nicholson

        Our History

        The heritage value of Central Christian Church lies in its association with the congregation of Central Christian Church, its WC Harris architecture and its importance in supporting the Kent Street screenscape.

        The building is the second church used by the congregation. the group was originally identified as Baptist, but became their own group in the middle of the 19 Century. In 1878 they purchased a building at 237 University Avenue – formally known as Malpeque Road (beside Harvest House – Bowlan’s Electronics that still stands). It could seat 450, likely not comfortably and initially has no electricity.

        In 1897 a split developed in the church and the group that  met at the YMCA, at a rental rate of $1.50 a  week.  One of the members of the congregation, John Kennedy, donated $500.00 as the “Nucleus of a Building Fund” and in Feb 1898, there was a report of $10 being given over in to the building fund from the Sunday School. At that time,  they hired a youthful, powerful evangelist by the name of RF Whiston,  had a total membership of 56 and an average Sunday School attendance of 30.

        In October 1899, the land was purchased and stone for the foundation was on the premises. The lot was chosen very near to the spot where George Coles, the Island’s first premier, had carried on an extensive brewery trade. with all due respect, the land was now converted to a more spiritual is less spirituous enterprise.

        The new building was carefully planned by WC Harris of Charlottetown, brother of Robert Harris, the distinguished artist whose paintings constitute the permanent collection at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. The building was opened on Sunday, Sept 22, 1900  The newspaper reported: As to the building itself, one has to see it to appreciate its beauty and design. The magnificent ceiling work, the perfect harmony of colors, the excellent seating arrangement and the good acoustic properties, all testify to the good judgement of the architect, WS Harris, and the faithful honest work of H&S Lowe. The ceiling which is groined and finished in clear spruce, rests on column and capitols of Island birch. The pews of the church are also birch. The windows are of cathedral glass. The walls are tinted moss green. After completion, the church property was valued at$7,000.

        The actual “Act to Incorporate” received assent in the Provincial Legislature in June 1900.

        In 1922, the church began to work on the Annex and the Annual Meeting for Feb 14, 1923, was held in this new addition to the building.  During the same year, the Ladies Aid ordered a pipe organ and paid for it in part with funds from various activities including teas. In 1935, the church purchased the property next to the church, known as the Gay property, for the sum of $1,000.00 to be used as a location for a parsonage. This was completed in 1936 & the new minister and his wife, Mr & Mrs Samuel Cooper, moved in.

        Extensive interior renovations were made to the church building in 1974 & the membership of Central faced a serious decision. One possibility was to divide the congregation and begin a new church at a different location, as had been accomplished in 1967 when the Sherwood Church of Christ was established. The majority felt that their outreach would be greater with the talents of the existing body united in a single major effort. It was decided, in spirit of the difficult architectural problems involved, it was best to  open up the adjoining wing or Annex of the church and make it an integral part of the auditorium. In Oct 1974, the work was successfully completed. The congregation once again had “Room to Grow”. At that time the congregation also decided, for the first time in history, to engage the services of an Associated Minister.

        A new auditorium was constructed in 2007 and was dedicated to the Lord’s work on Sunday, September 23, 2007.

        EDUCATION BUILDING 

        In the early 1800’s, George Coles, A Father of Confederation, opened a brewery in the middle of the block where our building now stands. Later a carriage builder, a tombstone cutter, & a furniture maker operated shops here.

        The first known furniture maker to occupy the site was George Douglas, who worked from a wooden building in the 1850s. Mark Butcher, the well-known Island cabinetmaker still used the building when he purchased the land in 1869. After Butcher passed away in 1883, his nephew, Mark Wright took over the factory and worked from the building until it was destroyed by fire in 1887. Wright promptly built the current structure in brick as a replacement and continued his business until imported, machine made furniture replaced Islanders’ desire for the hand carved variety. He ceased manufacturing furniture and moved his furniture retail business to Grafton Street. The chairs across the street at the park are replicas of the chairs that were made. His former factory at 221-223 Kent Street was to become a pork packing and cold storage facility, first run by Wright himself and later by the Sims Packing Company.

        A new brick building was quickly constructed after a fire in 1887 destroyed the existing facility.  Our present church building was dedicated (Sept 22, 1900).

        The large imposing style of the brick building emphasizes its original manufacturing role. As a utiliatarian structure, there is little decoration except for the corbelled cornice at the roofline. The array of six over six windows would have provided lots of light for those working meticulously inside.

        In it’s early years, the new brick building was used as a meat-packing plant and also became the home of the National Candy Company. In 1931, it housed patients from the Falconwood Fire. By 1936, the building had become the headquarters for the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve and was owned by the Dominion Government. The “Queen Charlotte”, as it is now called, became a training center for men entering the navy. During the war years some 3,000 men received their initial training.

        In 1954, the navy moved out and in 1958 Central Christian Church purchased the building from the Provincial Government for $10,000 to be used as an education building for the congregation. Two years later Maritime Christian College opened, making use of our building for its classrooms, offices etc.  Renovations in 1972 resulted in space for a Christian Bookstore. 1993 brought major changes once again as Maritime Christian College vacated and relocated to 503 University Avenue.

        Recently the building has been used by various AA organizations in the basement. The building also provides space for Sunday School Classes, a prayer room, youth activities in the gymnasium. Maritime Christian Bookstore closed its doors on June 23, 2018. The Sisters of Saint Martha are currently renting the old bookstore location as a drop in for recovering addicts beginning Mid October/November 2018.

        This building has surely had a very checkered career and is truly named a heritage building.