A HISTORY OF GOD'S FAITHFULNESS

The story of Greater Vancouver Baptist Church is truly a story of God’s grace. The church was started in August of 1982 as Bethel Baptist Church of Vancouver and met in the Sunset Community Centre in Vancouver’s southeast side. Pastor & Mrs Gordon Conner had followed the call and leading of the Lord to move to Vancouver from Ontario to plant a new, independent Baptist church.

After nearly two years at Sunset, the Lord opened an opportunity for the young church to move to Wilson Heights United Church on 41st Avenue. This move proved to be a big help for the young congregation – giving them a “church building” to meet in. The six years at Wilson Heights were years of growth and development as the church began to make a real impact in this vast multicultural city.

In 1990, the Lord provided our current location at the corner of Kingsway and Victoria through a merger with the Peoples Fellowship Tabernacle. The church continued on under the leadership of Pastor Conner and changed its name to Tabernacle Baptist Church. With a “home” of its own, TBC truly flourished and expanded its ministries and established a testimony on this historic corner.

IN 2005

The church officially changed its name to Greater Vancouver Baptist Church reflecting the makeup of the congregation that was coming from all across the Greater Vancouver region. We are thankful to the Lord for His ongoing provision and protection these thirty years.
 
Adoniram Judson, a Baptist missionary serving in Burma over 100 years ago, once said, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.” We believe in the promises of our God and therefore take great hope in the future of Greater Vancouver Baptist Church. We look forward in anticipation of the great things God has in store for our church and we invite you to come see what the Lord is doing here in East Vancouver.

"What do you believe?"
Here are some answers to common questions from our statement of faith.

What do you believe about...

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, given by direct inspiration; and is infallible and inerrant. We believe specifically that the Authorized Version (KJV) is a correct translation of the Received Text (Textus Receptus) which has been divinely preserved from the original autographs given to the prophets and apostles by plenary inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This church does not accept or use any other translation in the English tongue (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the uniquely begotten Son of God, and fully man; that He was virgin-born, lived a sinless life, was crucified, died and was buried; that He was resurrected, ascended to the Father bodily and will return for His saints before He comes to judge the world and rule the world, and that Christ died for the sins of the world, and that His blood on Calvary has paid the full price for mankind’s redemption and has eternal power to cleanse from all sin and save from Hell (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 24:29-31; Lk. 1:31-35; Jn. 1:1,2; Rom. 9:15; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:14,15; Phil. 2:6-8; Rev. 3:10).

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Ps. 2:2,7; Ps. 139:1-16; Isa. 63:10; Jn. 4:24; 15:26; 16:7; Jas. 1:17).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; and that He is the supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers at salvation, indwelling them, and sealing them unto the day of redemption (Jn.16:13; Eph. 5:18; 1 John 2:20,27).

We believe that all men are by nature sinful and lost and that for eternal salvation, Holy Spirit regeneration is absolutely essential (John 3:5; Rom. 3:24; 5:1; 6:10; Eph. 2:8,9; Tit. 3:5; 1 Jn. 2:2).

We believe that men are justified (made righteous) on the single ground of faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; Rom. 5:1; 2 Cor. 15:18-21; Tit. 3:5; 1 Jn. 2:2).

We believe that Satan is a person and that the lake of Fire is a place of eternal conscious punishment for all unsaved (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:14; Rev. 20:7, 11-15).

We believe that a New Testament church is a local organized body of baptized believers practising Scriptural ordinances and being actively engaged in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19,20; 1 Cor. 5:4; Eph. 4:11-16; 5:23,24; Heb. 10:25).

We believe that all the redeemed, that is those who are “born-again”, are kept by God’s power, and are secure in Christ for eternity (Jn. 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1,38,39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5).

We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13,14; Gal. 5:13; Tit. 2:11-15).

We believe that sanctification is God’s will for all believers and that it involves the believer’s separation from the world, his cleansing in life, and complete dedication to Christ in service; but not the eradication of the Adamic nature. That all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, worldly practices and associations is commanded by God, including all forms of immorality and homosexuality (Rom. 12:1,2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 5:19,20; 2 Tim. 3:1-5: 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11).

We believe that water baptism by immersion following conversion is a symbolic ordinance setting forth the death, burial and resurrection of Christ; and the believer’s union with Him in death and resurrection. That baptism is a Scriptural ordinance of the church requiring immersion of believers only, to be administered by the New Testament local church (Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 2:38; 10:47; 16:33).

We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a Scriptural ordinance of the local church to be partaken of by the local church membership (1 Cor. 11:23-34).

We believe that there is a physical resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved unto the resurrection of life and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation (1 Cor. 15:51-57; 2 Cor. 5:8; 1 Thess. 4:14-17; Rev. 20:11-15).

We believe that there will be a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation rapture of the saints (1 Thess. 4:14-17; Tit. 2:13; Rev. 3:10).

We believe that the modern Charismatic Movement (i.e. tongues, prophecies, healers, signs and wonders, etc.) is not Biblical and we do not accept it as being from God.

We believe that the Ecumenical drive to unite all religions into one super church is totally unscriptural.