614 St. Jamestown – A Church without Walls
Our Community
614 St Jamestown is a response to the need for an evangelical presence in the
neighbourhood known as St Jamestown. Located in the heart of downtown
Toronto, comprising only a ½ km squared, this gateway community is home to
approximately 27,000 people. The area’s 18 high-rise buildings are filled with new
immigrants and refugees seeking to create a new life in Canada. Tamil, Filipino
and Chinese are the most prolific people groups currently residing in St
Jamestown. A full 65% of the population turns over every five years.
The community is also home to Toronto’s most densely populated public grade
school, Rose Avenue. Nearly 800 children descend from their apartments into
this centrally located school every day. The school is also a hub in the
community, providing ESL classes, childcare and early morning assistance for
mothers with small children. St Jamestown is largely under-serviced, due in part
to the high needs of the Regent Park community, which is located a kilometer
south.
History of 614 St. Jamestown
The community was in desperate need of an evangelical church open to all races
and creeds. Under the auspices of the Christian & Missionary Alliance, a
Saturday evening Bible Study has been operating at the local Knights of Columbus
hall. Since its inception the group had grown to consist of approximately 25
people. This gathering formed the basis of the new 614 St Jamestown
congregation.
Kevin Moore, previously with The Salvation Army, and Tara Bishop, of the
Mennonite Brethren, were the pastors charged with leading the church plant.
During the first year, Clayton Rowe of the C&MA was seconded to the church as
an additional Associate Pastor. Their ongoing work is assisted by Major Geoff
Ryan of Corps 614 Regent Park and Terry Wiseman, Executive Director of the
Board of Church Extension for the OCMB. Additionally, an urban mission team
from The Salvation Army’s “Ignite” program joined them in serving the community
for the first eight months. Waterloo Mennonite Brethren Church has adopted the
plant as a daughter church and regularly sends mission teams to assist in a
variety of ways.
Foundations
We are founded on the same Mission and Vision as all other 614 churches. Given
the potential language barriers and the void of a consistent Judeo-Christian
context, we wrote additional mission and vision statements to help our
community understand how these scripture verses relate to us.
Mission: As followers of Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to encourage, equip
and empower our neighbours to discover God’s unique plans for their lives, thrive
in God’s
eternal hope and pursue God’s transforming future for St. Jamestown and our
world.
Jeremiah 29:11
Vision: We dream that St. Jamestown will be a place where healthy individuals
inspire friends to rebuild lives, restore dreams and renew the spirit of a great
community.
Isaiah 61:4
Our Community
614 St Jamestown is a response to the need for an evangelical presence in the
neighbourhood known as St Jamestown. Located in the heart of downtown
Toronto, comprising only a ½ km squared, this gateway community is home to
approximately 27,000 people. The area’s 18 high-rise buildings are filled with new
immigrants and refugees seeking to create a new life in Canada. Tamil, Filipino
and Chinese are the most prolific people groups currently residing in St
Jamestown. A full 65% of the population turns over every five years.
The community is also home to Toronto’s most densely populated public grade
school, Rose Avenue. Nearly 800 children descend from their apartments into
this centrally located school every day. The school is also a hub in the
community, providing ESL classes, childcare and early morning assistance for
mothers with small children. St Jamestown is largely under-serviced, due in part
to the high needs of the Regent Park community, which is located a kilometer
south.
History of 614 St. Jamestown
The community was in desperate need of an evangelical church open to all races
and creeds. Under the auspices of the Christian & Missionary Alliance, a
Saturday evening Bible Study has been operating at the local Knights of Columbus
hall. Since its inception the group had grown to consist of approximately 25
people. This gathering formed the basis of the new 614 St Jamestown
congregation.
Kevin Moore, previously with The Salvation Army, and Tara Bishop, of the
Mennonite Brethren, were the pastors charged with leading the church plant.
During the first year, Clayton Rowe of the C&MA was seconded to the church as
an additional Associate Pastor. Their ongoing work is assisted by Major Geoff
Ryan of Corps 614 Regent Park and Terry Wiseman, Executive Director of the
Board of Church Extension for the OCMB. Additionally, an urban mission team
from The Salvation Army’s “Ignite” program joined them in serving the community
for the first eight months. Waterloo Mennonite Brethren Church has adopted the
plant as a daughter church and regularly sends mission teams to assist in a
variety of ways.
Foundations
We are founded on the same Mission and Vision as all other 614 churches. Given
the potential language barriers and the void of a consistent Judeo-Christian
context, we wrote additional mission and vision statements to help our
community understand how these scripture verses relate to us.
Mission: As followers of Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to encourage, equip
and empower our neighbours to discover God’s unique plans for their lives, thrive
in God’s
eternal hope and pursue God’s transforming future for St. Jamestown and our
world.
Jeremiah 29:11
Vision: We dream that St. Jamestown will be a place where healthy individuals
inspire friends to rebuild lives, restore dreams and renew the spirit of a great
community.
Isaiah 61:4
About Us
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| Kevin Moore - Lead Pastor |
| Clayton Rowe - Associate Pastor |