The Meeting House


The Meeting House is an Anabaptist church located in the Greater Toronto Area suburb of Oakville, Ontario. With a consistent average weekly attendance of 5,007, it is ranked by the Hartford Institute of Religion as fourth among large churches in Canada. The Meeting House is part of a denomination called the Be in Christ. The senior teaching pastor is Bruxy Cavey, the senior pastoral pastor is Darrell Winger, and the senior operations pastor is Rod Tombs.

History

In 1985, Craig and Laura Sider moved to the west end Toronto suburb of Oakville, Ontario to start Upper Oaks Community Church. They were supported by the Brethren in Christ Canada.
In 1996, Craig and Laura accepted a leadership position with the Brethren in Christ in Pennsylvania. Bruxy Cavey became the teaching pastor, and the church met at Iroquois Ridge High School. Shortly afterward, the church changed its name to "The Meeting House".
The Meeting House has grown and has attracted the attention of other Christian churches and the mainstream media.
In 2018, the attendance was about 5,007 people each Sunday morning.

Leadership

Bruxy Cavey is the teaching pastor. He is the author of the books The End of Religion and union: The Good News of Jesus for Seekers, Saints, and Sinners. The Meeting House is a multi-site church based in Oakville, Ontario with nineteen regional sites meeting mostly in cinemas. Each site is led by a lead pastor with a team of elders and part-time staff.

Teachings

The Meeting House teaching aligns with Anabaptist teachings. They emphasize a lifestyle of compassion, peace, simplicity, and the priority of community. The Meeting House has a particular emphasis on the irreligious nature of the teachings of Jesus. Their core beliefs are outlined in the articles of faith and doctrine of their denomination.
Teaching produced on the church's main Oakville campus is either simulcast or sent out on a one-week delay to nineteen satellite Ontario satellite locations, most of which meet in cinemas.