FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 7, 2018
Historic Cornwallis Street Baptist Church Selects New Name
Cornwallis Street Baptist Church releases the following statement:
(Halifax, NS) – The historic Cornwallis Street Baptist Church (CSBC), established in 1832, has been a long-standing, integral member of the Halifax community. Situated in the city’s north central neighbourhood, the church contributes to this vibrant community by providing spiritual guidance, benevolence, fellowship, education opportunities, and lively worship services.
For nearly 200 years, CSBC has worked with other community organizations and partnered with sister churches and city agencies in collaborative efforts to address poverty, education gaps, violence, and social injustice. These efforts have been guided by the church’s biblical understanding of its call and witness as disciples of Jesus Christ. We believe we are not only called to proclaim the gospel, but to embody it by being emissaries of the Lord’s love and mercy, seeing beyond the immediate to the future God has for us. It is with this understanding that CSBC passed a motion in its 2017 annual meeting to change the name of the church.
“The intent of the name change is to identify ourselves by a name that better reflects the church’s values with an eye to the church’s work in the future,” says Rev. Dr. Rhonda Y. Britton, Senior Pastor, Cornwallis Street Baptist Church.
“The change also supports our First Nations sisters and brothers in their continued efforts to educate the public regarding the violence and mistreatment they have endured, as we all become more mindful of those we choose to honour and celebrate in history.”
To that end, on May 6, 2018, the membership of Cornwallis Street Baptist Church voted on the new name. Pending approval of the Registry of Joint Stocks, Cornwallis Street Baptist Church will henceforth be known as New Horizons Baptist Church.
Following the worship service on May 6, the church celebrated the name change with a sod-turning ceremony in anticipation of its building renovation scheduled to begin July 30, 2018.
Greater. Higher. Stronger.
With Board of Management Chair Roger Baptiste, Building Committee Chair & Board of Trustees Chair Cynthia Jordan, Rev. Dr. Rhonda Britton and Deacon Board Chair H.T. Pleasant in the photo (foreground)