OUR STORY
We are a loving community of Christians who are passionate in worship, discipleship, and making Jesus known to the world. For over 90 years, we have been ministering the Gospel of Christ to our community on the West side of Vancouver, BC.
The history of our church begins in 1926 with the establishment of a home mission by the BC Baptist Missionary Council with the purpose of establishing a Sunday School for the community. A two-storey shingled brown building was erected on our current site (corresponding with our current nursery room and upstairs hall). But the mission closed in 1929 due to financial constraints.
By the grace of God, Dunbar Heights Baptist Church (DHBC) was opened in 1932 by the Rev. A. F. Baker, who was appointed pastor-at-large. Shortly after, our first full-time pastor was hired. Rev. W. J. Thomson, who served from 1933 to 1947, left a legacy in the children’s ministry. In 1935, we were officially recognized under the Convention of Regular Baptist Churches of BC (now called the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches of BC/Yukon).
We witnessed a work of God from 1947 to 1959, under Rev. John Richards. Through his leadership, we established our first Vacation Bible School and a ministry to reach the local university students. The present tower was added in 1948 during major renovations and initially served as the pastor’s study.
Pastor Richards was followed by Rev. Don Reed from 1959 to 1971. During these years, we witnessed God’s blessing on a flourishing children’s ministry. Children’s meetings were held annually with an attendance so large that one year the fire marshal came and made us clear the aisles. During Pastor Reed’s tenure, our building was expanded to include the current chapel, offices and basement. Construction was completed on March 5, 1961.
Rev. Jack Graham from London, England followed in 1971. He was an outstanding preacher. As God drew people from all over the city into our small building, chairs had to be placed across the back and down the aisles. Subsequent pastors were similarly used by God to serve our church and community. They include Norm Scott, Jim Turner (1978-90), Don Ekstrand, Brick Sanderson (1994-97), Darcy Van Horn (1997-2002), Barton Priebe (2002-2014), and Rev. Wes Parker (2016 - present). A notable ministry of the church is the Crown Street Kids Club (1994-2018), which served multiple families of our community.
Over the years we have witnessed a surprising work of God. He has blessed us with an abundance of young families, couples and singles, some have gone on other ministries and some have stayed long term. We love to see how God moves his church around to suit His plans and purposes. We love to be a part of the discipleship and growth of His people at any stage. We also have the privilege of worshipping with a diversity of believers of various ethnicities and nationalities. A culture has developed within DHBC, marked by a commitment to the Gospel, to living life together and to sacrificial service for the glory of Christ. Praise God for his grace towards Dunbar Heights Baptist Church!