Historical Sketch: Cedar Hills Mennonite Church*

Cedar Hills began as a Sunday school in New Westminster in the mid- 1930s. The congregation began services in 1938, and ministers from First United Mennonite Church in Vancouver and Mennonite Brethren ministers in the surrounding cities would come in by bus, bicycle or car to preach. After the first few years, this joint ministry discontinued, but the Sunday school continued under Peter Dyck’s leadership. Eventually, John Goertz began serving the fledgling group. The first building was occupied in 1943 and the congregation formally organized in 1945 as the United Mennonite Church of South Westminster.

The congregation joined the Conference of United Mennonite Churches of British Columbia (now Mennonite Church British Columbia) on 13 January 1946. Peter Dyck and John Goertz are considered the founding leaders of the group. The congregation was later known as New Westminster United Mennonite Church and became known as New Westminster Mennonite Church in 1960. In 1951 they found their first full time pastor, Abram “Abe” Neufeld.

By 1962 the congregation was looking for a new site for a church because their current accommodations were getting too small. In 1963 land was purchased and early 1964 construction began. However, the contractor went out of business and the congregation was forced to finish the work themselves. October 4, 1964 the first service was held in the basement, the building was dedicated March 21, 1965 and the congregation renamed Cedar Hills Mennonite Church.

On September 12, 2004 the congregation merged with Living Hope Christian Fellowship which had been meeting at the church and Cedar Hills was officially dissolved on December 31, 2004.