Maranatha Canadian Reformed Church
Maranatha is a Reformed church that sees itself as continually reforming, always returning to God's Word to direct its life. It holds to the three ancient creeds (Apostles', Nicene and Athanasian) and the Three Forms of Unity (the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dort) as faithful summaries of Scripture, while affirming that only the Word of God has divine authority and that every human document must be tested by it. Its members describe themselves as pilgrims who seek forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ alone while awaiting his return.
Maranatha Canadian Reformed Church was instituted on 15 January 1956. The Canadian Reformed Churches were organized by Dutch immigrants who arrived after the Second World War and, unable to find agreement with the existing Reformed bodies in Canada, formed their own congregations from 1950 onward; the federation holds exclusively to the Three Forms of Unity, and Maranatha belongs to its Classis Northern Ontario. The minister is Rev. John Ludwig.
The congregation grew large enough that on 11 July 2004 a daughter congregation, the Canadian Reformed Church of Fergus North, was formed; the two Fergus churches and the Canadian Reformed Church of Elora share a joint Centre Wellington website. Maranatha’s building is on Belsyde Avenue East on the east side of Fergus.
The church runs study groups, instruction of the youth and a ladies’ auxiliary, and it lists both local and global outreach among its ministries. Worship is in English.
What to expect
Services open with the votum ('Our help is in the Name of the Lord') and a biblical greeting, followed by congregational singing from the Book of Praise (the Anglo-Genevan Psalter, with all 150 Psalms and 85 hymns) accompanied by organ or piano, public prayers, Scripture readings from the ESV and a sermon on a Bible passage or a section of the Heidelberg Catechism. Baptisms are held periodically for children and adults.
What Canadian Reformed Christians believe and how they worship
About this listing
This entry has not been verified with the congregation yet. Sources: maranathacanrcf.org, canrc.org, canadianreformedchurchesofcw.com, wellingtonadvertiser.com, centrewellington.ca. Something wrong? Suggest an edit.