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Toronto, Ont.
A historic uniting of MB and BIC congregations


The Brethren in Christ and Mennonite Brethren had talked about the idea for 10 years, but talk was all it was. Then Vidya Narimalla, pastor of a Mennonite Brethren church in Toronto, had this “crazy idea”.

Narimalla was looking for a new home for his congregation, New Covenant Christian Fellowship. He thought of Bridlewood BIC, a nearby church with nearly everything in common theologically with the MB church.

(l-r) Gwen and Vidya Narimalla; Henry Wiebe, moderator of the Ontario MB Conference; Bishop Darrell Winger of the BIC Canadian Conference; and Walter and Lynda Kelly.

“I knew the MBs and BICs had been wanting to do more things together as two different denominations because we have so much in common,” said Narimalla. “So I approached the leadership council of my church and asked them what they thought of us becoming one church.”

The response was favourable, so he approached Walter Kelly, pastor of Bridlewood BIC, and Bishop Darrell Winger of the Canadian BIC Conference, and Richard Martens, Board of Faith and Life chairperson for the Ontario MB Conference.

“There was some nervousness,” Kelly admits. “Our congregation was an older congregation, and we had to do some moving over. We knew all of our names, and we were comfortable with each other, yet we knew we weren’t doing as good a job at outreach as we wanted.”

New Covenant Christian Fellowship was a young church, planted by Narimalla, a banker-turned-pastor, in 1995. With more than 100 people, it was outgrowing the small chapel it was renting.

Both churches had a multi-ethnic makeup, reflecting the many races and cultures of the Toronto area – people from India, Barbados, Jamaica, China, Malaysia, El Salvador, Guyana and India, to name a few.

In June 2000, the leadership councils of both churches began meeting to talk about the challenges and benefits of amalgamation. There were questions about how the church would operate, how the people would mesh, and whether there would be leadership struggles.

“Theologically, the confessions of faith looked as if the same person had written them using different words,” Narimalla said. “We were amazed at the similarity of the articles of faith.”

Both denominations are Anabaptist and evangelical, share a similar social consciousness through Mennonite Central Committee, and are members of Mennonite World Conference.

A task force consisting of the pastors, conference representatives and three members from each church began meeting at least once a month to prioritize issues that had to be tackled.

“First, did we have the same purpose and vision? If we didn’t, we needed to stop right there,” Narimalla said. “But our vision was the same: To establish a healthy, caring and discipling Christian church with people from all nationalities in the city of Toronto.”

The task force concluded it would be increasingly difficult for smaller churches to survive economically in urban centres like Toronto. Together, the two churches would be a stronger, more viable church, they felt.

The churches began holding monthly morning services together so the congregations could hear each other’s pastor preach and “see how the fit was,” Narimalla said.

The two congregations voted on amalgamation January 7, 2001. The combined vote was 90 per cent in favour. A month later, both BIC and MB conference boards voted unanimously to approve the amalgamation.

Even those who voted “no” have stayed and are involved in the life of the church, Narimalla said. “The noes came from people who didn’t necessarily like change or wanted a smaller church.”

The first official service of New Life Christian Church was held on Palm Sunday, April 8, 2001. It marked a historic moment in both denominations; the first time a BIC and MB church joined.

First new members being added to the new congregation Easter Sunday, April 15, 2001.

“Vidya and I know we have to work out a lot of things. We deliberately chose to be co-pastors instead of pastor and associate pastor because we are both fully supported by our denominations,” Kelly said. “The honeymoon is over, and we’re sorting out who’s here and whom we can count on each week.”

Both pastors have committed to staying at the new church at least three years to work through the growing pains of making the church a success. If one or both pastors leave, the church will try to have pastors from both denominations in the future as well.

“This is as challenging as anything I’ve set out to do,” said Kelly, a former missionary to Nicaragua. “But like any pioneer who is challenged, motivated and scared, I’m trying it, and I think it will be rewarding. There’s lot of renewed energy, excitement and zeal.”

Average attendance is 120 people. The church is working on a photo directory to acquaint people with one another. Members of the church are bi-denominational, belonging to both the BIC and MB.

Congregation singing

The pastors attend both denomination’s seminars and get-togethers. The church will send delegates to both the BIC and MB general conferences. The church leadership is evenly composed of leaders from both former churches.

The real estate is split 80/20, with the BIC having the larger share and retaining the deed to the property, which is BIC-owned. Offerings go to pay church expenses, and whatever is spent on cooperative ministries is split 50/50 between the BIC and MB denominations.

There were some changes for both sides to get used to. MB members weren’t used to having a bishop nor did they allow women to be ordained. Kelly’s wife, Lynda, already ordained, automatically became the first ordained woman in the MB denomination.

Bridlewood didn’t have a youth group; now it does. New Covenant didn’t have a weekly prayer meeting and now it does.

The name change was one of the hardest issues to resolve, according to the pastors. “That was especially tough on me,” Kelly said. “I had been BIC all my life, and to take that out of the title, that was tough.”

But Kelly says New Life Christian Church is healthier than either of the two churches were separately. He’s proud to help lead a church that represents two denominations and one that reflects so many different races and cultures.

“In the Christian church, we’re so suspicious of each other and we do so little together. We’re so protective of who we are and what we do,” he said. “I’m so proud of this church that we represent the whole heart and dynamic of the city of Toronto.”

Narimalla echoes his sentiments and adds, “Trying to do our own thing separately in a city of 4.5 million people, just a couple kilometres down the road from each other and struggling at times – no, this is much better.”

 – Carolyn Kimmel, BIC Communications staff writer. Reprinted, with permission, from The Visitor, the periodical of the Brethren in Christ.

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Last modified April 12, 2002.

© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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