A Short History...
OF RABBIT HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
In the late 1800’s Germans from eastern Europe were flocking to the West in part to escape persecution by the Russians. Of primary importance was establishing a church where they could worship. That is what this little church on the edge of the city still provides – a place to worship.
One of the earlier pastors of this church, exemplified this commitment. L Jesperson, a descendent of Rev. Edward Wolfe, wrote that “In 1903 Rev. Edward Wolfe & family came to Glory Hills which is 5 miles north of Stony Plain … Sometime after that he accepted a call from Rabbit Hill and served that church every other Sunday. He always walked from his home to Rabbit Hill”.
If you search that journey today on Google Maps it says it will take you just over 12 hours to make that same walk. Of course, in the early 1900s there were no bridges across the North Saskatchewan River to speed your journey.
That was typical of those who grew up in the Rabbit Hill area. Hardy pioneers with a spirit that would not quit or looked for easy ways through.
Established on September 26, 1892 as Heimthal German Baptist Church, “this church proved to be the first German-speaking of any denomination in the area, as well as the first Baptist church of any ethnic origin north of Calgary.” Today it is a picturesque, wood framed white church in what is the southern most part of Edmonton. Then it was a one-room shack made of logs and sod. Today, while still surrounded by farms, some of which are still farmed by descendants of those early pioneers, it has been engulfed by the expanding boundaries of the City of Edmonton. Then it was farmstead land populated by more rabbits than people.
Now almost 130 years old, the church has persevered through many hard years. It changed its name and language of worship at the beginning of WWII to avoid the persecution of Germans that had been faced in the previous war. Frequently unable to get a full-time pastor, it shared pastors with other churches in its denomination and for years was ministered to by the staff and students of the nearby North American Baptist College, now Taylor Seminary.
Rabbit Hill Baptist Church might best be described in Revelation 2:9 as a church that has suffered affliction and are impoverished … yet rich”. Theirs is the rich history of launching many bible students into full-time pastoral ministry, supporting countless missionaries, and participating in the planting numerous churches throughout the greater Edmonton region.
In the late 1800’s Germans from eastern Europe were flocking to the West in part to escape persecution by the Russians. Of primary importance was establishing a church where they could worship. That is what this little church on the edge of the city still provides – a place to worship.
One of the earlier pastors of this church, exemplified this commitment. L Jesperson, a descendent of Rev. Edward Wolfe, wrote that “In 1903 Rev. Edward Wolfe & family came to Glory Hills which is 5 miles north of Stony Plain … Sometime after that he accepted a call from Rabbit Hill and served that church every other Sunday. He always walked from his home to Rabbit Hill”.
If you search that journey today on Google Maps it says it will take you just over 12 hours to make that same walk. Of course, in the early 1900s there were no bridges across the North Saskatchewan River to speed your journey.
That was typical of those who grew up in the Rabbit Hill area. Hardy pioneers with a spirit that would not quit or looked for easy ways through.
Established on September 26, 1892 as Heimthal German Baptist Church, “this church proved to be the first German-speaking of any denomination in the area, as well as the first Baptist church of any ethnic origin north of Calgary.” Today it is a picturesque, wood framed white church in what is the southern most part of Edmonton. Then it was a one-room shack made of logs and sod. Today, while still surrounded by farms, some of which are still farmed by descendants of those early pioneers, it has been engulfed by the expanding boundaries of the City of Edmonton. Then it was farmstead land populated by more rabbits than people.
Now almost 130 years old, the church has persevered through many hard years. It changed its name and language of worship at the beginning of WWII to avoid the persecution of Germans that had been faced in the previous war. Frequently unable to get a full-time pastor, it shared pastors with other churches in its denomination and for years was ministered to by the staff and students of the nearby North American Baptist College, now Taylor Seminary.
Rabbit Hill Baptist Church might best be described in Revelation 2:9 as a church that has suffered affliction and are impoverished … yet rich”. Theirs is the rich history of launching many bible students into full-time pastoral ministry, supporting countless missionaries, and participating in the planting numerous churches throughout the greater Edmonton region.