Our Mission
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, acting in compassion and love, we at St. Andrew's United Church seek to develop an atmosphere of warmth and welcome in the beauty of this historic and spiritual house of worship.
As a traditional congregation, it is our purpose to provide an opportunity for people of all ages to learn of and grow in faith; to experience the joy and hope found in the teachings and promises of our Lord Jesus Christ and to develop a fellowship and bond with our local and global community.
As a traditional congregation, it is our purpose to provide an opportunity for people of all ages to learn of and grow in faith; to experience the joy and hope found in the teachings and promises of our Lord Jesus Christ and to develop a fellowship and bond with our local and global community.
Our History |
St. Andrew's United Church holds an honourable place in Nanaimo's history. The first church on this site was a wooden structure in the Gothic Revival style. The cornerstone of this imposing brick landmark church was laid in 1893. The earlier wooden structure was incorporated into the later church hall in 1927. The architect of the brick church was Warren Hayes, who was born in New York and later settled in Minneapolis. He was regarded as a specialist in church design and is credited with developing the diagonal form of the auditorium, of which this church is a very fine example. It is thought to be one of two alike architectural design buildings in Canada. The contractor for the building was W. N. Shaw.
The church has a high central hipped roof and lantern, and symmetrical cross-gabled wall dormers. The tall bell tower is a landmark in the area. This picturesque and complicated roofline is typical of the late Victorian period. The construction is brick throughout, with sandstone trim and drip moulding. A coat of roughcast pebble-dash stucco has been applied over the original brick façade because of the deteriorating state of the soft bricks. Tall stained-glass windows fill the round-arched openings. Because of the fine acoustics, it is regularly used by professional choirs, orchestras, and other musical groups in concert. In 1901 despite difficult times, the present pipe organ was purchased from a firm in Woodstock, Ontario, for 1'900 $. Dept followed the church, but many people continued to serve as they were able until 1922 when they achieved a debt-free status. On January 22, 1923, the mortgage was burned at the Congregational Meeting. The bell was dedicated on Easter Sunday, March 24, 1929. It is 40 inches in diameter, weighs 1'500 lbs, and is made of steel alloy. |
Our Minister
Dr. Rebecca Giselbrecht serves as Pastor of St Andrew’s United Church in Nanaimo, British Columbia and was recently named Research Associate in Church History and Spirituality at Vancouver School of Theology.
Rebecca studied Biblical Studies in Chicago and Leadership in Pasadena, Reformation History and Practical Theology in Zurich. She has a B.S. in Biblical Studies, M.A. in Global Leadership, a MAS in Sociology and Youth Work, a MDiv from Fuller Seminary, and her PHD in Intercultural Studies. Her dissertation in sixteenth-century church history is titled: A Hermeneutic of Female Testimony in the Zurich Reformation.
After serving as a lay ministry leader for most of her adult life, Rebecca transitioned to minister as Associate Pastor of Youth and Children’s Ministry at the Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church in Degersheim, Switzerland. She taught and conducted research in practical theology and spirituality as Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at the University of Zurich for ten years and was Director of the Center for the Academic Study of Christian Spirituality at the University of Zurich until October of 2018.
She is Oberassistentin at the Institute for Old Catholic Theology, University of Bern, Switzerland and is writing her habilitation – a critical edition of the writings of Anna Alexandria of Rappoldstein at the University of Bern. Rebecca has published widely in both German and English on women in church history, the Zurich and Strasburg Reformations, Calvin, Zwingli, Bullinger, women and mission, and practical spirituality studies.
Rebecca is married to her husband Dieter and they have five children.
Our Music Director
Anne Dalton is the Organist and Choir Director at St. Andrew's United Church. She holds degrees in Piano Teaching and Organ Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto. She also sings, plays the cello and various other instruments. Anne has been teaching music for 44 years and has been a church musician for almost 40 years. Her extensive musical experience includes four years with the Vancouver Cantata Singers, 15 years with the Lyric Choirs of Surrey and over 20 years as a conductor's assistant with the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Our Office Administrator
Deidre Schmidt is our Office Administrator. She has worked for St. Andrew's since 2002 and does all bookings for Church events, concerts, funerals and weddings.