Our Story
Our building was built in 1909 as the home of Victoria Avenue Methodist Church. On June 10, 1925 the Methodist church joined with the Presbyterian and Congregational churches to form the United Church of Canada. On the southeast corner of 15th and Victoria Avenue stood the Knox Presbyterian Church, which also joined the union. The two churches worshipped as separate congregations until 1933, when due to the Great Depression and its impact on the economy, the two congregations merged to become Victoria Avenue United Church.
The United Church congregation used both buildings for a short time, worshipping in the former Knox Presbyterian Church building on the southeast corner of Victoria and 15th Street, and holding Sunday School and mid-week activities across the street in this building on the northwest corner. In 1935, as the Depression deepened, the congregation moved all activities here. In 1937, the old Knox Presbyterian building was torn down, and in 1938 the congregation moved here fully, adopting the name Knox United Church. You can still see the foundation of the former church, as a house has been built on it.
By the early 50’s the Knox congregation outgrew the capacity of this building and launched a building program. In 1954 they sold their building to us, First Christian Reformed Church, a relatively new church in Brandon, for a grand sum of $25,000. They in turn moved into the building they currently occupy on 18th Street, taking the cornerstone with them, which you can see in their lobby.
In more recent times, the First Christian Reformed Church building has been modified to better serve the needs of the congregation. The original church was built with a Casevant tracker action pipe organ. Sometime before 1954 it was replaced with an electric organ and all that remains of the original organ is the array of pipes you currently see at the front. The church acquired several electric organs before purchasing a keyboard.
In the late 1970’s this congregation found that the large stained glass windows were too expensive to maintain and installed the more heat efficient panes you see today. The upper portions of the windows still retain the original stained glass.
The former lights which hung from the beams were replaced with modern bullet indirect lighting on the walls. The original circular stage with its round pulpit was removed and a large straight pulpit from the Knox building was installed.
In the late 1990’s the large, square pulpit and the choir loft were removed and the entire pulpit area was changed to accommodate contemporary worship. The pulpit you see today was made from the wood of the former one.
An addition, the “Annex”, is a former barracks from the decommissioned Brandon air base, which now contains two wheelchair ramps, offices, a Sunday School room, and a visiting/meeting area. The basement was renovated to accommodate a large nursery, fellowship hall and kitchen. An elevator connects the upper and lower floors.
