Vancouver Mennonite Brethren Church

In the 1930s a group of Mennonite Brethren families and single women living in Vancouver began meeting regularly in rented quarters. On May 30, 1937, the group formally organized to become the first Mennonite Brethren congregation in Vancouver (VMB), with a group of 37 members.  Work began on a church building in the early 1940s, with the sanctuary completed in 1944.  

The congregation originated through the urbanization of Mennonites from the Fraser Valley. These Mennonites had in turn immigrated to Canada from Russia and Europe at various times. The language spoken in the services was German, with the shift to English occurring in the 1950’s and ’60’s. For many years, services were conducted in both languages each Sunday morning and at the height of 1954 VMB had 683 members. 

With growing numbers and an inability to expand the building capacity, in the years that followed, Fraserview MB (1954) and Willingdon MB (1961) were planted by members of VMB, and a daughter church, Culloden MB, was built in 1969, with 75% of the VMB membership relocating to the new plant. Already, the culture of church planting had begun to emerge and would shape our vision of being a church planting church.  

South Hill Church

In 2007, VMB began discussions with the English language congregation of Pacific Grace MB Church to talk about ways in which the two congregations could plant a new congregation. A joint task force was formed in July and a proposal to merge was presented to both congregations on 16 September, 2007. Formal approval was given by the leadership of both congregations on 30 September, and a new name was given: South Hill Church.

The years as South Hill were significant for what Christ City would become, with a growing sense that, as the local community demographic changed, the church would need to adapt and consider new ways to contextually serve the neighbourhood. In 2013, a group from Westside Church (now Centre Church) were looking to plant in the South Vancouver area, and it was decided by the South Hill leadership, that this was an opportunity to to inject a new lease of life into the church.  After six years as South Hill, the congregation voted to disband and agreed to turn the building over to Christ City, with many of the existing congregation joining the new plant.  

Christ City Church

2015
We partnered with The Bridge Church in Kitsilano to plant Christ City Kitsilano (now Christ Church Kitsilano)

2018
We sent a team into the Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood to plant Christ City East Vancouver (now Sunrise Church) 

2023
A team from Christ City East Vancouver moved to Surrey to plant Christ City Surrey (now Redeemer City Church)  

2025
We launched an Urban Chapel to be a missional church community in the Downtown Eastside. 

2026
This September we are planning on sending a team to Richmond to plant Covenant City Church.