A big old rotting tree almost felled Ioco United Church.
But thanks to donations from the community the tree has been safely removed, and a merger with St. Andrews United Church means services will continue at the historic little white church at the corner of Ioco Road and First Avenue.
Jennifer Swanson, the pastor at Ioco since 2014, said a series of financial pressures, including the expenses of chopping down the tree as well as dealing with a failing boiler, that were beyond the means of the church’s congregation of about 35 members, brought it to the brink of closure late last year. But it’s been saved by the merger that took several months to navigate.
The amalgamation, which was formalized as of April 1, has also brought with it renewed energy to keep the church, that was originally built in 1924 as part of the Ioco townsite to serve employees at the old Imperial oil refinery, a vital part of the community.
In fact, the structure predates the inauguration of the United Church in Canada by one year. But its latest brush with closure wasn’t the first time it teetered on the precipice.
Swanson said several years ago the church came within a few days of closing until a daycare was able to rent space, allowing the congregation to cover its bills for operating the building.
“It’s not a new problem,” Swanson said of the financial struggles faced by many churches, large and small. “We’re in a secular society.”
Swanson said the new arrangement with St. Andrews, which is temporarily occupying borrowed space at Kinsite in Port Coquitlam while it redevelops its property on St. Johns Street in Port Moody into affordable housing, a children’s centre and a new home for its services and community outreach, will allow her to keep the old church open for occasional services as well as a gathering place for the community. She said the small sanctuary is coveted for picture-perfect weddings, and gatherings at the church have been a unifying force in the Ioco community for decades.
“There’s so much history here and investment in the legacy of how things have been always done,” she said.
That legacy made it difficult for some of the congregation to wrap their heads around joining with St. Andrews, even though the two churches were previously together as recently as 1991, Swanson said. And while the congregation may be small, its tentacles have a long reach.
“People come in and tell us stories about their connection to the church,” she said. “There’s a lot of people that this is their community church even if they may not participate.”
But with new initiatives being planned jointly by the combined churches, like a labyrinth walk in Rocky Point Park on July 7, and a redesigned website to keep members apprised of church activities, Swanson said she’s optimistic participation will be boosted.
“We want to not be contained to just the buildings,” she said.
