150-year-old church 'finding new ways to survive'

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A Fredericton church is celebrating 150 years in the city, marking the many changes its made – both past and present – to stay relevant to its parishioners.

Gibson Memorial United Church will celebrate the milestone on Sunday at 10 a.m. with an anniversary party.

Church council chairperson Rodney Chase said he grew up in the church with his parents and three siblings, and once he got married and had kids of his own, he started bringing them to Gibson.

“I grew up there as a child, and I still continue to go there, so it’s kind of interesting to have that background and have that happening, and there are several families are like in the church right now,” he said. “We’ve been very fortunate that way that the congregational members in the community have supported us over the years.”

The milestone anniversary comes as many traditional churches in New Brunswick are shutting down or moving. Chase said the members of Gibson realized years prior that they had to make changes to survive.

The church now shares a minister with other United Churches in the city, and sometimes holds joint services with Forest Hill United Church.

“It maintains that continuity, and we’ve expanded our overall congregation as far as attendance on those weekends,” said Chase. “Some people have kind of had the thoughts that they would try to participate this weekend because they do have some connection from the past.”

Gibson Memorial was established in 1874 as the Gibson Circuit, welcoming congregants from Gibson, Douglas, and Robinson. The Methodist church along with many others joined to form the United Church of Canada in 1925.

The original Gibson church built in 1881 burned down in 1940, and was completely rebuilt over two years later in 1943. The church has overseen additions and expansions multiple times over the years.

“We’re very fortunate to have those things happen to us over the years that when there was a need that the congregation would support the church, and we would be able to meet our needs,” he said. “That’s one of the trademarks of why we are still very active, and we’re finding new ways to survive.”