Our story
We believe our past has played a big role in shaping our identity as a church. Our story isn’t only for newcomers to ETCBC, but it also reminds our community how God has led us and how far He has brought us to where we are today.
1974
Our church started as a mission site of our mother church, Toronto Chinese Baptist Church (TCBC), and was originally known as “Toronto Chinese Baptist Church: East Side Mission”.
Our inaugural service was held on June 30, 1974 with seventy-eight Chinese-speaking transferred members in attendance. We met in a space rented from Temple Baptist Church at 14 Dewhurst Boulevard in East York, Toronto.
1980
As the local Chinese population increased, our congregation grew as well. On January 26, 1980, we became an independent church and were officially known as “East Toronto Chinese Baptist Church.”
Our congregation continued to grow and in 1987 we planted a new church at Yonge St. & Finch Ave. forming North Toronto Chinese Baptist Church (NTCBC). The majority of our congregation moved to the new church building and we, once again, became a mission site known as “North Toronto Chinese Baptist Church: East Side Mission.”
1991
We continued to increase in size and officially became, for the second time, an independent church on January 5, 1991 reverting to our former name, “East Toronto Chinese Baptist Church”.
Later this year, our English congregation was established to meet the growing need of English-speaking individuals in our congregation. In the late 1990s, our Mandarin congregation was established in response to our increasing number of Mandarin speaking congregants.
1999
In March 1999, we moved to our current building at 22 Carnforth Road and have worked to plant our roots here ever since.
2010
The Nehemiah Project was the large renovation that aimed at providing a safer and more engaging environment for our children, ministries, and congregants; opening up opportunities and reinvigorating existing ones.
2020
In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, our church, like many others, shifted to online worship. While this season brought uncertainty and change, it also deepened our understanding of what it means to be a church beyond a physical building. Through live-streamed services, virtual small groups, and creative adaptations, we learned to stay connected, to support one another, and to continue growing in faith even while physically apart.
When in-person services gradually resumed, we returned with a deeper recognition of why gathering matters. Being physically present, singing, praying, and sharing life together reminded us that church isn’t content we consume, but a community we belong to.
2024
This year marked a significant milestone: 50 years of God’s faithfulness. In October 2024, we celebrated our church’s 50th anniversary with gratitude and renewed sense of calling to be a faithful presence in the Victoria Village community.
Looking back on half a century of ministry, from our beginnings as a mission site to the vibrant, multi-congregational community we are today, we gave thanks for the generations who have come before and committed ourselves to continue living out our calling.
