Our History
The Pentecostal movement began in the city of Fredericton in the summer of 1924, when tent meetings were held on the Woodstock Road. Dubbed "the Holy Rollers" by the local newspaper, these early Apostolic believers often faced intimidation and even outright persecution as they brought Biblical truth to a city with strong religious traditions. But God's hand was in it, as the articles in "The Daily Gleaner" resulted in large crowds coming to the meetings simply out of curiosity. Many lives were changed as men and women exchanged dead tradition for living truth!
Over the next several years, the fledgling congregation met in the Edgecombe Hall, the Yerxa Hall, and several other locations. Many evangelists and ministers helped to shepherd the growing assembly through its early years, under the direction of founding pastor Rev. Earl Jacques. The Pentecostals' first church building on Union Street was lost in the 1930's, when the man who had donated the lot lost everything in a mortgage foreclosure during the Great Depression. Finally, property was purchased on Argyle Street and a church building was constructed and opened in December 1947.
In 1955, under the direction of Rev. Jacques, the former Dawson Club in the neighboring town of Marysville was purchased and renovated to become the United Pentecostal Bible Institute. It was in this building, across from the area's famous Cotton Mill, that a "daughter congregation" began in April 1961. This small but dedicated group, which would eventually become the First United Pentecostal Church, held services in the Bible College chapel under the direction of Rev. Howard Reed until 1963, when Rev. Marguerite Stairs assumed the pastorate. It was during her tenure that the new congregation purchased adjacent property along the Nashwaak River, and constructed their first church building at 23 McGloin Street, opening it for services in February 1964.
Rev. Howard Post became pastor of the church later that year, and led the assembly until Rev. Robert Reed succeeded him in 1967. Rev. Reed, a brother of the congregation's founding pastor, led the church for the next four years. In 1971, Rev. Aubrey McAllister assumed the pastorate, and a dramatic increase in attendance over the next few years resulted in the group outgrowing their McGloin Street location.
In 1973, on the 125th anniversary of its incorporation, the city of Fredericton amalgamated a number of surrounding communities including Marysville, doubling both its area and population. This resulted in the assembly becoming known as the First United Pentecostal Church of Fredericton.
The growing congregation secured ten acres of property on nearby Baseball Hill, and a new sanctuary seating more than 500 was opened in March 1977 at 71 Downing Street. Rev. McAllister led the assembly until Rev. Joseph Beesley succeeded him in 1982. Once again, a dramatic increase in attendance over the next few years resulted in the group outgrowing their sanctuary. Under Rev. Beesley's leadership, the existing facilities were expanded with the opening of an office wing in November 1984 and a new sanctuary seating more than 1000 in April 1988.
Rev. Beesley led the assembly until Rev. Arden Bustard succeeded him in 1996. Rev. Bustard led the church for the next four years, and was followed by Rev. Jack Long in 2000. Rev. Long pastored the congregation for less than a year when he died suddenly in February 2001.
Rev. Raymond Woodward, who had served the assembly as an Assistant Pastor in the 1980's, returned to his hometown of Fredericton to assume the pastorate of First United Pentecostal Church in June 2001, and immediately began the task of preparing the congregation for the next phase of our growth. Forty acres of adjacent property were purchased in December 2001 to accommodate our future expansion. In February 2006, the congregation voted to change the church operating and legal name to Capital Community Church, Inc.
Our long history of progress has often been marked by the buildings we have occupied, and by the tenures of the pastors who have cared for our church family. But our real growth has not been in metal and mortar, but in the hundreds of lives and homes changed by the power of God. In April 2011, we will celebrate our Jubilee - fifty years of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with our city, our province, our nation, and our world. We unapologetically continue to preach the same Biblical truth first proclaimed in the streets of Jerusalem in AD 33 and in the streets of Fredericton in AD 1924. Every week is exciting at Capital Community, as the Lord continues to fulfill His promise and add "to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47).
