A Very Brief History

**There was a small Fellowship Baptist work in Markdale between 1973 and 1981. A building was erected west of the hospital in 1973 (now Penny Wise). Sadly, suffering under my trials, this work never became rooted and the church closed in 1981.

Rock Mills

 Our story began in 1995. 

When writing history one must be honest and so lamentably we acknowledge that Markdale Baptist came into existence from a split with Rock Mills Baptist Church (founded c.1890). We rejoice that today whatever caused that split has been largely forgotten and was of an inconsequential nature that today these sister churches enjoy close fellowship. Through God's great grace He used even a split to establish a baptistic Christian witness in Markdale, Markdale Baptist Church was born.

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Pastor Earl Ambrose

Our first meeting was on January 1, 1995, with 70 people in attendance at the Markdale Service Centre. Two weeks later we began meeting at Kids & Us (old Arc Industries on Walker St.). Pastor Earl Ambrose was called October 1, 1995, though numbers had dipped to 50, only to rebuild under his ministry. Many exciting things happened in the years that followed. On April 17, 1998 our present lot was purchased and a year later, on April 17, 1999, the church became part of the Blue Water Association of Baptist Churches (and ultimately the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches). On one Sunday before our present building was erected $19,000 was collected!

​Work began on the new church building in August of 1999. Meanwhile the church began meeting at the chapel of Grey Gables nursing home in December of 1999.

Construction of the new building continued until May of 2001, meanwhile we had our first service in the lower hall on June 4, 2000 and the first in the main upper hall on April 22, 2001. The church building was dedicated on May 6, 2001.

Pastor Bruce Laidlaw

After twelve and a half years of ministry with us Pastor Earl was called elsewhere. We were nearly two years without a pastor until Pastor Bruce Laidlaw and his family joined us in 2010. The church was blessed by two longer pastorates, but the church was not without its troubles, namely the death of Pastor Bruce in May 22, 2018. Yet again, wonderfully, through the Lord's grace He taught the church much through this heavy hand of providence. 

​In God's great timing, just as Pastor Bruce fell ill, our partner in mission, Ken (and Mary Ann) Jolley, were just returning from the mission field. Ken provided consistent teaching for 2018-19 until the church's third pastor was called. In May 2019 the Crockers visited Markdale to explore ministry possibilities and a call was extended to them. They joined the church on September 1st, 2019 and together MBC now looks forward to this "new chapter" of their life as a church.
(Last updated in Sept 2019)