Our Story
Celebrating 70 Years of “God With Us”
From our Church Bulletin,
Dec. 13th, 1953…
“The Paisley project was begun through the interest of the Port Elgin pastor, Rev. A. W. Rees, and the cooperation of the Extension Board of the Ontario Conference, with Rev. L. K. Sider, Kitchener, as supervisor. First services were held in August, 1952, in the small auditorium of the Community Centre and later in the Town Hall. A Sunday School quickly developed as an accompaniment of the afternoon preaching service. By the Spring of 1953, the congregation suggested a church building project; plans were prepared; and the work was begun at the end of June. The unused Orange Hill United Church of Canada, located near Gorrie, was purchased and dismantled. The new structure at Paisley was fabricated in the main from these materials.”
Our Church Building
For the first decade of its life and ministry, the Paisley project continued to grow under the leadership of the Port Elgin church. Finally, in 1967, we were strong enough to stand on our own two feet! With the calling of our own first pastor, Cecil Rosenberger, we dedicated an addition to the building on November 5, 1967. Over the years, the building has undergone two major additions. The second addition was a brand-new sanctuary, which was dedicated on December 10, 1989.
Immanuel EMC
From its inception as a church plant of the Port Elgin United Missionary Church, our congregation has celebrated God’s presence among His people - Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” Our name, Immanuel United Missionary Church, would see several variations with different denominational mergers, but eventually we settled on Immanuel Evangelical Missionary Church.
For over 65 years, we have been an active presence in our community, whether it is through our AWANA children’s program, our Christmas parade floats, or our exciting youth ministry. But one way the Lord has greatly blessed us is through our partnership with the Paisley Food Bank, which has operated out of our building for over 20 years.
The Story Continues…
Our story continues, but we face it with a new name! As the Paisley Missionary Church, we are committed to being the physical “hands and feet of Jesus Christ” in our community. Though our name has changed, our focus remains the same: to become God’s Community to reach our Paisley community. With the Lord’s blessing and guidance, may we continue to faithfully carry out this message for many years to come!