As the young church has gotten up and running, Pastor Liam Wilson says that the leaders and congregants of Harbour have been extremely supportive every step of the way. Photo Credit: Pony Church.
With Easter weekend commencing across the country, local churches have once again been holding services and ministering to the community throughout holy week. Liam Wilson currently serves as a pastor at Pony Church, a new church plant in St. Catharines that has been growing exponentially since 2020.
“We are a multi-generational, multi-ethnic congregation,” Wilson shared in a recent sit-down with The Niagara Independent. “Our largest demographic is people aged mid-twenties to mid-thirties. And a significant portion of our members are involved at Brock University or Niagara College. We are united by Christ, as a community and as a family.”
Wilson, who started Pony Church with friend and fellow Pastor Isaiah Bennett, says that the church plant was completely unplanned. “It all started during Covid, when so many people were having a rough time,” Wilson shared.
“The owner of Pony Market in St. Catharines was kind enough to allow Isaiah and myself to have a spot to do a bible study on Wednesday nights,” Bennett further explained. “The first week it was just the two of us, the next week it was five, then ten, and it just kept on growing! By the time we hit January 2021, we had to decide whether to keep it a Bible study or go down the church plant route… we chose the latter.”
Prior to starting Pony Church, Wilson and Bennett attended Harbour Fellowship Church in St. Catharines. As the young church has gotten up and running, Wilson says that the leaders and congregants of Harbour have been extremely supportive every step of the way.
“We are so grateful for how our brothers and sisters at Harbour have given generously of their time, energy and resources,” Wilson reflected. “All of their encouragement, guidance and wisdom has been a wonderful blessing to us.”
With a congregation of around eighty people, Pony Church is now meeting on Sunday mornings at Collegiate High School in St. Catharines.
“We want to be pretty flexible and mobile,” Wilson explained. “We recognize that a building would take a massive amount of energy and resources, and in our particular circumstance, we believe it could detract from our mission. If Pony Church continues to grow, it would be our long-term goal to start up another church plant in a different Niagara municipality, in order to serve a greater number of local residents, rather than commit to a building with one larger congregation.”
Wilson concluded by reflecting on the upcoming holiday, and an invitation to the Good Friday and Easter Sunday services at Pony Church.
“This weekend, we’ll be finishing our series in 1st Peter, which is very fitting, as it is about suffering,” Wilson said. “Easter is a unique time in which we remember Christ’s suffering for us, and that it is through His suffering that we are now able to enjoy a personal relationship with God.”
Note: The Good Friday and Easter Sunday Services at Pony Church will take place at the Optimist Club of St. Catharines, located at 8 Napier St. Both services will begin at 10am.
Nick Redekop completed his Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Labour Studies at Brock University. He has previously served in municipal and federal politics. In his free time, Nick enjoys following sports, taking part in outdoor activities, and reading biographies. Nick resides in Niagara Falls
