It all began in 1994, when a group of new immigrants from Hong Kong arrived in search of a church home to worship in their familiar Anglican tradition, in their native Cantonese. The Anglican Diocese of Edmonton met this need with a new parish, Holy Trinity, whose congregation made its temporary home at the downtown cathedral. The congregation grew and began to consider establishing its own facility.
A building project to break ground in southwest Edmonton began in 1995, in what was then the far outskirts of the city. Three years later, the people of Holy Trinity moved into their new home, as the local community grew exponentially into the bustling southwest corridor you see today.
Holy Trinity was dedicated solely to its Chinese ministry, but also appreciated the value of working in community with other entities to further God’s kingdom. In late 2002, Terwillegar Community Church, which serves a Baptist community, became a partner in ministry in the building. Together, the two congregations cultivated this vast piece of field in partnership until 2009.
In early 2009, Holy Trinity embarked on a new mission — to expand to serve a broader swath of Anglicans and other seekers in Edmonton’s rapidly expanding southwest. Thus came the start of the church you see today, Holy Trinity Riverbend, which aims to both complement the area’s existing ministries and provide a church home for those who live and work in this corner of the city. The original Chinese congregation welcomed the expansion and still continues its own weekly Cantonese service, and the growth of the church has provided wonderful opportunities for a greater understanding of the broadness of God’s love. Meanwhile, our friends at the Terwillegar Community Church moved into their own, independent facility in the southwest, to accommodate the growth they had experienced.
2010 has a lot of wonderful things in store for Holy Trinity Riverbend as our congregation continues to grow and thrive. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you!