A church for all people, with enough love to go around.
History of Glad Tidings
The first Pentecostal service was held on May 8, 1960 in the local recreation centre, and was attended by five men, three of whom were Ralph Freake, Melvin Snow, and Douglas R. Parsons. Parson, who had relocated to the community earlier that year, conducted the meeting. During the next couple of years, services were held in the Becthel Engineering building, a temporary school, in the homes of the W.Linfields and Douglas R. Parson, and in the C.E. McManus school.
As the congregation grew, the services of a pastor were required. On July 28, 1961 Edwin G. King arrived in the town. In November a trailer was purchased and used as living accommodations for the pastor, as well as a place for meetings. "We are enjoying the blessing of the Lord here," the pastor reported in 1962, "only on times it gets a bit discouraging because we do not have any place for services on Sunday nights, only in our trailer..." The Sunday School had reached an attendance of twenty-one.
Construction of the first church building began on August 28, 1962. The structure, erected by William Clarke and his sons, assisted by free labour, measured 55' x 32'. A three-bedroom apartment for the pastor was prepared in the basement. The first service was held in February 1963. "I feel," said Dr. A.E. Moss, the manager of the Iron Ore Company of Canada, at the opening and the dedication of the building on June 9, "you have built wisely, You have not built too large, nor have you built too small. You have built according to your requirements." Parsons spoke at the event: "Today is a great day for me; it is a day of a dream come true. In coming to Labrador City, I felt that it was what the Lord wanted me to do."
During the ministry of Pastor William Gillett - 1969 to 1972 - a new parsonage was constructed and a 30-foot extension was added to the church building. The Church basement was then converted to Sunday School classrooms.
Because of the continued growth of the Assembly, it became necessary in 1976 to undertake another building program. The new auditorium, completed in 1977, measures 100 feet by 60 feet, has a full-size basement and is connected to the original building by an annex, which serves as foyer. The new auditorium has a seating capacity of about 450 people. The original building is now used for Boys and Girls Club, Latreuo Youth Group, Sunday School, and other activities.
Over the past forty years God has richly blessed and prospered this assembly. Psalm 125:1, 2 says, "They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever."
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