The Meeting House

The Meeting House
Nonprofit Religious Organization
Founded Oakville 1985
Headquarters Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Number of employees
 33 full time (2006, CRA)
Website www.themeetinghouse.com
Footnotes / references
The Meeting House is part of a denomination called the Brethren in Christ, or BIC for short.

The Meeting House is a Canadian church located in the Toronto suburb of Oakville, Ontario. It was founded in 1985 by Craig and Laura Sider, and was originally known as "Upper Oaks Community Church". With a consistent average weekly attendance of 4,400, it is ranked by the Hartford Institute of Religion as fourth among large churches (sometimes called megachurches) in Canada.[1] Teaching (sermons) produced on the church's main Oakville campus is either simulcast or sent out on a one-week delay to fifteen satellite Ontario churches which meet in cinemas.

History

In 1985, Craig and Laura Sider moved to the west end Toronto suburb of Oakville, Ontario to start Upper Oaks Community Church. They were supported by the Brethren in Christ Canada.[2]

In 1996, Craig and Laura accepted a leadership position with the Brethren in Christ in Pennsylvania. Bruxy Cavey became the Teaching Pastor and the church met at Iroquois Ridge High School. Shortly afterward, the church changed its name to "The Meeting House".[2]

The Meeting House has grown and has attracted the attention of other Christian churches and the mainstream media.[3][4]

In 2016 (and for the previous two years) the main Oakville location has an attendance of about 2,000 per Sunday. The attendance over all sites is about 5,100 people each Sunday morning.[5]

Leadership

Bruxy Cavey is the Teaching Pastor. He is the author of the book The End of Religion. The Meeting House is a multi-site church, with 20 regional sites meeting mostly in cinemas. Each Site is led by a Lead Pastor with a team of Elders and part-time staff.

Teachings

The Meeting House teaching aligns with Anabaptist teachings. They emphasize a lifestyle of compassion, peace, simplicity, and the priority of community. The Meeting House has a particular emphasis on the irreligious nature of the teachings of Jesus. Their core beliefs are outlined in the Articles of Faith and Doctrine of their denomination.

References

  1. ↑ "Megachurches of Canada Listing". Hirr.hartsem.edu. Retrieved 2014-03-21.
  2. 1 2 "our history". The Meeting House. Retrieved 2014-03-21.
  3. ↑ Bowen, John (February 2010). "What Anglicans can learn from The Meeting House". Niagara Anglican Online. Anglican Diocese of Niagara. Archived from the original on 2011-10-13.
  4. ↑ Brownell, Claire (December 20, 2014). "The sermon on the monitor: The new wave of evangelists who’ve turned preaching into a multimedia endeavour". Financial Post (National Post). Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  5. ↑ Email sent to church leaders/members, March 2016

External links

Coordinates: 43°30′40″N 79°41′06″W / 43.5112°N 79.6851°W / 43.5112; -79.6851

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