Building a community together

Jenny Burr
Spur Ottawa Correspondent

Right in the heart of Manotick, near the library and the pool, sits a former medical building. Although the building is under renovations, its original purpose of bringing healing to the community is being well preserved.

The building is being turned into a church for the congregations from Agape Chinese Alliance Church and the Community Church of Manotick. Two congregations, transforming one medical facility into one church building, made for two churches.

Jack Xie is the pastor of Agape Chinese Alliance Church. He and his congregation know all about working with another church.

“For about nine years, we have been worshipping at Cedarview Alliance Church, joining in worship and having our children attend Sunday school together,” Xie explains. “It worked out very well.”

As the congregation grew, Xie and his members began to consider searching for their own property.

Pastors Jack Xie and Darren Milley stand together at a joint thanksgiving and building-renaming ceremony. Screenshot from Facebook.

“Some of our families live in or around Manotick. This is why we wanted to have a church in this area,” he says.

About three years ago, Xie met Darren Milley, the founding pastor of the Community Church of Manotick. Milley asked for Xie’s assistance with one of the families attending his church. The time they spent working together developed a strong friendship and working relationship.

“A few years ago,” shares Milley, “my wife and I felt led to plant a church in Manotick. A few core families were there and they were interested in having an evangelical church plant. The church is part of the Mennonite Brethren denomination. We focus on Kingdom ministry, Kingdom values, and presenting the gospel.”

Milley’s congregation meets Sunday afternoons at St. Leonard Catholic School.

One day, Xie approached Milley about having the two congregations possibly work together to purchase property.

“When I approached the congregation,” says Milley, “they were delighted with the idea of, because of our previous relationship with Pastor Xie.”

A perfect fit

Agape Chinese Alliance Church has a missional heart. Xie says that they “reach people where they are by working together, meeting needs, and serving.”

“The Community Church of Manotick is also passionate about finding the needs of the community and meeting those needs,” Miley shares. Because of these shared values and goals, the churches feel they are a perfect fit to serve the community alongside one another. Yet, it took quite a while to find the right property.

They had a lot of questions to settle. Should they build a church? Did God want them to purchase property and then renovate? But rather than starting by hashing it all out, the congregations met together, talked, shared food, and prayed for God’s leading.

Eventually the congregations located a medical building for sale on Bridge Street, in downtown Manotick, and they knew God was providing the ideal location for their church.

“It is actually a good setting. Minimal renovations are needed and it has two levels.”

“It was purchased in April and we hope to have the renovations complete by October,” Xie shares.

Although one might wonder if a medical facility would be suitable for church use, Milley says, “It is actually a good setting. Minimal renovations are needed. It has two levels. A large kitchen is being constructed because both congregations like to have food and meet together.”

In January, Milley accepted a full-time chaplaincy position with the Canadian Armed Forces. A leadership team currently leads the church and the transition has not affected plans with Agape Chinese Alliance.

The new location provides many possibilities for service and ministry to all ages and all walks of life. As they come closer to finishing renovations, the congregations plan to explore these opportunities more thoroughly.

Speaking for both congregations, Xie explains, “We are open to God’s direction in the community, as well as for the needs within the Church.”