Maple Ridge church closing doors after 110 years

After more than a century in Maple Ridge, Webster’s Whonnock United Church will be closing its doors for the final time after the Christmas Eve service.

The church first opened in 1912 as a Methodist church. It became part of the United Church in 1925 when five different churches were amalgamated into one.

Rick Wright, treasurer with the church since 1998, explained declining membership can no longer support their congregation moving forward.

“Not enough people. Not enough support to keep it going. So, after 110 years, we’ve decided to disband the congregation and we sold the building to another church,” he said.

Wright remembered a time when he first joined the congregation about 30 years ago, when there were a couple of Sunday school classes and about 50 people who regularly attended weekly services. Before then, there were about 80 who attended, he said.

“We haven’t had a Sunday school class now for years,” he said.

There are only six to eight people who attend church weekly on a regular basis.

The church was once called Webster’s Corners United Church, and shared a minister with Whonnock United Church. However, Whonnock United was forced to close in 2010, and Webster’s Corners United took in the congregation, changing its name to reflect both congregations.

Wright said the decision to finally close the doors was a few years in the making. They had already been talking about the possibility for a couple of years.

“I’m going to miss the people most,” he said, remembering when – before the COVID-19 pandemic – congregants used to meet downstairs following the Sunday service for lively discussions about politics, religion, or the meaning of Bible passages.

Wright will also miss Minister Diane Halkett, who has been driving from White Rock to head the congregation since 2014, and the musicians who would play at the church.

“It’s always been a sense of community,” he said.

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Halkett said when she applied for the job as minister at the church, she knew it was the place she was meant to be.

“I felt the sacredness in the sanctuary while I was waiting for my interview, and I knew that I wanted to journey with them, and I was so pleased that they wanted to journey with me as well,” said Halkett.

Not only did Halkett make the trek to Maple Ridge on Sunday, but often during the week, as well, to do pastoral work and visitation.

She is sad about the church closing – but also hopeful, because another denominational church is taking over, and the building will still be used as a space for worship, praise, and thanksgiving.

“That gives me some peace,” she said.

Halkett will also miss the people who attended.

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“We love music and we feel joy when we are together, ” she said. “There is a huge amount of love in that place.”

Cornerstone Fellowship Baptist Church bought the church and is planning to keep the heritage building intact.

On Sunday, Dec. 18, they held a regular service at 10 a.m., went for lunch, then held a service of closure and disbanding.

That was when Wright realized that he was probably not going to see his friends as much anymore.

“I came there at a specific point in my life and the people who were there were just salt of the earth,” he noted about when he first joined the congregation.

“Great, great solid, solid citizens that were ready to stick out their hand and help you and coach you and guide you along. Always, always guide you along with just the greatest of compassion and it’s been that kind of a church, it’s always been that kind of a church and that’s what I’ll truly miss,” he said.