The Meeting House

The Meeting House
Location Oakville, Ontario
Country Canada
Denomination Be in Christ
Churchmanship Evangelicalism, Anabaptism
Weekly attendance 5,007
Website themeetinghouse.com
History
Founded 1985 (1985)
Founder(s) Craig and Laura Sider
Clergy
Senior pastor(s) Bruxy Cavey


The Meeting House is an Anabaptist church located in the Greater Toronto Area suburb of Oakville, Ontario. With a consistent average weekly attendance of 5,007, it is ranked by the Hartford Institute of Religion as fourth among large churches (sometimes called megachurches) in Canada. The Meeting House is part of a denomination called the Be in Christ. The senior teaching pastor is Bruxy Cavey, the senior pastoral pastor is Darrell Winger, and the senior operations pastor is Rod Tombs.[1][2][3]

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.[4] [5]

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".[4]

The Meeting House has grown and has attracted the attention of other Christian churches and the mainstream media.[6][7]

In 2018, the attendance is about 5,007 people each Sunday morning.[8]

Leadership

Bruxy Cavey is the teaching pastor. He is the author of the books The End of Religion and re)union: The Good News of Jesus for Seekers, Saints, and Sinners. The Meeting House is a multi-site church, based in Oakville, Ontario with nineteen 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.

Teaching (sermons) produced on the church's main Oakville campus is either simulcast or sent out on a one-week delay to nineteen satellite Ontario satellite locations, most of which meet in cinemas.

References

  1. ↑ "The Meeting House - contact us". www.themeetinghouse.com. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  2. ↑ "The Meeting House - contact us". www.themeetinghouse.com. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  3. ↑ "The Meeting House - contact us". www.themeetinghouse.com. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  4. 1 2 "our history". The Meeting House. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Name Change Announcement: Be in Christ Church of Canada". Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  6. ↑ Bowen, John (February 2010). "What Anglicans can learn from The Meeting House". Niagara Anglican Online. Anglican Diocese of Niagara. Archived from the original on October 13, 2011.
  7. ↑ 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 April 21, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Megachurches of Canada Listing". Hirr.hartsem.edu. Retrieved May 26, 2018.

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

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