our Lord, Guilherme Augusto DaSilva) united together with their families and the brethren, Urbano Soares and his wife in the church of Streetsville.
Sometime afterwards, pastor Manuel Marques visited Canada and spoke with these brethren. Together they felt a need for a Portuguese pastor to work with immigrants speaking portuguese and thus pastor Marques manifested the desire to start a portuguese church in Toronto.
The first meetings begun at the Streetsville Baptist Church. Pastor Marques also organized a radio program with the purpose to preach the gospel with the radio station "Asas do Atlantico." Later on , the small congregation moved their meetings to the English Church, Door Hope Tabernacle, located at Gladstone Ave, Toronto. Soon, other brethren joined and among them was Saul Candido and his family. Not long after that, the Scott Mission, located at Spadina Ave, gave us a hall in their building so that we could have our services there. In this place we stayed a few years.
We prepared the Statutes and the Constitution, and our church was officially registered by the Canadian government in January 1969. Our church has always been independent, and is not affiliated with any denomination.
In 1976, pastor Marques decided to return to the United States and pastor Manuel Mathews who was already in Toronto serving the Lord, became the pastor of this church.
In May 1983, by the grace of God we bought the building which belonged to the First Portuguese Club at 132 Nassau St. in Toronto. In October of the same year, after the renovations, it was decided to have a dedication service where we have remained and have been blessed by God.
Pastor Joao Duarte became pastor of our church, in September 13, 1992, where he has been used by God.
We give thanks to God for the years of the existence of this local church and we pray for his divine blessing and direction for the present and the future so that we can be a light and a testimony for the glory of God and a blessing and salvation to many souls. |
