Our History

Stanley Park Community Church has been serving the Kitchener area for nearly a century and a half. During these years we have enjoyed several locations and had a number of name changes, but we have always been part of the United Brethren in Christ Church family. We started out in 1856 as the Berlin Mission Station (Kitchener was called Berlin until the First World War). Around 1900 we relocated to Alma Street (now called Charles Street) to become the Alma Street United Brethren Church. 

In the spring of 1970 we moved to Stanley Park, to our current location at the corner of Ottawa Street and Dreger Avenue. The new facilities were dedicated as Stanley Park United Brethren in Christ Church by Pastor Keith Nicholson. When Pastor Keith Nicholson suddenly passed away in 1986, Martin Magnus became our pastor. During Martin's tenure Bob Cotie and John Pearce served as pastoral assistants. After Martin Magnus retired in 1990 John Pearce became Senior Pastor with Bob Cotie taking the role of Associate Pastor with primary responsibilities for visitation and children's ministry. Bob served until 1995 when he became the Pastor of the Shiloh UB Church near Port Elgin. John Pearce was joined by our "Kids' pastor" John Klassen in 2000. Early in 2002 the church name was changed to Stanley Park Community Church to reflect more clearly our heart for our local community.

For more details about the history of the United Brethren in Christ church please visit the UB History page.