The First Baptist Church of Vancouver

What The First Baptist Church of Vancouver does

The First Baptist Church of Vancouver is a non-denominational-affiliated Christian congregation established in 1886 and currently operating from the historic 969 Burrard Street sanctuary in downtown Vancouver, BC. It functions as a full-lifecycle ministry organization serving members from infancy (nursery) through seniors (First Seniors monthly gatherings), with structured programs for preteens, youth, young adults, and ESL learners, alongside a defined Discipleship Pathway that moves newcomers from first visit through baptism and membership. Core Sunday offerings include in-person worship and Vimeo-based live streaming, supported by Connection Groups, pastoral care, prayer support, and Care Training (grief, mental health, end-of-life seminars).

Beyond worship, the church operates community-facing services including Street Ministries (overnight shelter and meals for Vancouver's vulnerable populations), ESL Classes hosted at UBC-Robson Square, and local/global mission partnerships through Canadian Baptist Ministries and direct congregational trips. The church's flagship initiative is the Heart for the City Project, a multi-year development partnership with Westbank delivering seismic upgrades and heritage restoration of the sanctuary, approximately 45,000 sq ft of new ministry space, and a 50,000 sq ft affordable housing building (Rivendell, opened October 2024) operated with Terra Social Purpose Real Estate, with embedded licensed childcare (Wind & Tide) and mental health counseling (Burnaby Counselling Group) services. Revenue is generated through congregational tithes and offerings (online via CanadaHelps, pre-authorized debit, e-Transfer, gifts of shares, and planned giving), supplemented by modest program fees for events such as Vacation Bible School and Basketball Camp; specific financial figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

The First Baptist Church of Vancouver

Legal name

The First Baptist Church of Vancouver

Website

https://firstbc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The First Baptist Church of Vancouver is a 125-year-old Christian congregation in downtown Vancouver delivering worship, age-segmented ministries (children through seniors), ESL classes, and street outreach, while expanding via the Heart for the City Project into affordable housing, licensed childcare, and mental health counseling through institutional partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services & Community Ministries

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI), Faith-Based Childcare Centers (EDACAAAN)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Community outreach programs
• Discipleship ministries
• ESL language classes
• Homeless shelter services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Members and visitors give monetary donations as acts of worship through secure online systems, pre-authorized debit, e-Transfer, or in-person during Sunday services. Official tax receipts issued through CanadaHelps.
2. Program Fees: Fees charged for specific programs such as Basketball Camp ($75), Vacation Bible School ($130), and Music and Mission fundraiser events ($20 suggested donation).
3. Bequests and Estate Gifts: Wills & Bequests, Gifts of Shares, Real Estate, Endowments, Insurance and Gift Annuities available as giving options for long-term supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The First Baptist Church of Vancouver delivers weekly Sunday worship services (in-person and live-streamed), a full discipleship pathway, and age-segmented ministry programs spanning children, preteens, youth, young adults, and seniors. Beyond worship, it operates ESL classes, Street Ministries (overnight shelter and meals for the homeless), Connection Groups, baptism and membership classes, and the Heart for the City community development project (affordable housing, licensed childcare, mental health counseling).

Product overview

The First Baptist Church of Vancouver offers a unified portfolio of religious and community service programs. Core offerings include Sunday worship services (in-person and live-streamed via Vimeo), Connection Groups for small group community, and Discipleship Pathway programming. Ministry programs span all age groups: Children (birth through Grade 7 with nursery, Sunday programs, and Vacation Bible School), Preteens and Youth (with dedicated gatherings and activities), Young Adults (with weekly meetings and Abide worship nights), and First Seniors (monthly gatherings). Supporting ministries include ESL Classes, Street Ministries (homeless shelter and meals), Care Training (grief care, mental health, end-of-life care seminars), and Missions (local and global partnerships). Seasonal programs include Basketball Camp and various Summer Adventures. The church also facilitates Baptism and Membership classes and publishes weekly First News newsletters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunday Worship Services Weekly Christian worship services including preaching, congregational singing, baptism, and community gathering for members, attendees, and visitors in downtown Vancouver.
• Live Stream Worship (Vimeo) Online live streaming and on-demand archive of Sunday worship services via Vimeo for those unable to attend in person.
• Discipleship Pathway A multi-stage discipleship journey including newcomers lunch, Connection Groups, baptism and membership classes, and ongoing ministry engagement for seekers and new believers.
• Preteens and Youth Ministry Faith formation programs for preteens (grades 5-8) and high school students including Sunday groups, Friday night gatherings, mission trips (Costa Rica), and leadership development.
• Children's Ministry (NewGen) Age-appropriate Sunday programming for children from birth through Grade 7 including nursery, NewGen worship, Bible teaching, crafts, and play with secure check-in.
• Young Adults Ministry Community and spiritual formation for young adults post-high school through early career, including Bible discussion, prayer, Abide worship nights, and social activities.
• First Seniors Ministry Monthly fellowship programs for adults 65+ featuring lunch, hymn singing, guest speakers, and seasonal outings to encourage spiritual and community connection.
• ESL Classes English as a Second Language classes for newcomers and immigrants to Vancouver, providing language instruction, cultural integration support, and community connection.
• Street Ministries Outreach to the homeless and vulnerable including Tuesday overnight shelter, hot meals, fellowship, and dignity-centered support through the Heart for the City initiative.
• Baptism and Membership Classes Instructional classes preparing individuals for Christian baptism and formal church membership, taught by Lead Pastor Drew Melton.
• Connection Groups Small group ministries providing community, fellowship, prayer, and Bible study for members and regular attendees across multiple life stages.
• Sermon Library Searchable on-demand archive of past sermons for ongoing teaching, discipleship, and reference use by congregants and the public.
• Vacation Bible School Seasonal full-day week-long summer program for children ages 6-12 featuring Bible teaching, crafts, activities, and games.
• Basketball Camp Seasonal half-day week-long summer sports program for children combining basketball instruction with faith-based character development.
• Music and Mission Fundraiser Concert Annual musical fundraiser event supporting mission work, with suggested $20 per-person donation.
• Rivendell Affordable Housing Affordable rental housing units for low-to-middle-income families and individuals, part of the Heart for the City Project developed in partnership with Westbank.

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canadian Baptists of Western Canada (CBWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenominational affiliation providing theological framework, support network, and connection to other Baptist churches in Western Canada. FBC is part of CBWC's Christ-centred community of churches focused on Cultivating Leadership, Investing in Relationship, and Engaging in Mission.
• Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational mission partners including André Sibomana (Rwanda Africa Team Leader), Evangeline Hammond (Lebanon Field Staff), Emad and Almess Botros (ABTS), and Joyce Lok (Asia). FBC supports global mission work and church mobilizing.
• Primera Iglesia Bautista en Desamparados (Costa Rica)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth ministry partnership with orphanage and summer camp in Costa Rica. Regular mission trips and service opportunities for FBC youth.
• Onion Lake Log Church (Saskatchewan)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for pastoral ministry of Martin Naistus and Cree Nation friends. Annual Vacation Bible School team sent during summer.
• WestbankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner for Heart for the City Project. Westbank is constructing the heritage church restoration, church podium expansion, and affordable rental building (Rivendell) as part of integrated development including market residential tower (the Butterfly).
• Wind & TidecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChristian childcare operator with 35+ years experience operating in 20 BC churches. Will provide administrative and operational support for FBC's licensed childcare facility (space for 12 infants/toddlers and 25 children ages 3-5, serving up to 37 families for 11 hours/day).
• Burnaby Counselling GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide mental health support through professional counseling services in FBC's expanded facilities. 45-year history providing professional care for mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being in BC.
• Terra Social Purpose Real EstatecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManaging day-to-day operations of Rivendell affordable housing at 1045 Nelson Street. Managing tenant screening, applications, and building operations for affordable housing community.
• IGA (Neighborhood Grocery Store)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal neighbor who made substantial donation to support the Tuesday night congregation meals program for homeless guests.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• First United Church Community Ministry Society: A downtown Vancouver church operating one of the city's largest social-service portfolios for vulnerable populations, including housing, meals, and advocacy. Comparable as a faith-based downtown organization combining worship with deep community-development services.
• Union Gospel Mission: A long-established faith-based nonprofit in Vancouver providing shelter, meals, addiction recovery, and housing for vulnerable populations. Comparable on the social-service and street-ministry dimensions of FBC's Heart for the City and Tuesday overnight shelter work.
• Tenth Church Vancouver: A large evangelical church in Vancouver offering full-service weekly worship, children and youth programs, community outreach, and small groups. Most directly comparable as a similarly sized, multi-generational, downtown-adjacent Baptist-rooted church in the same city.
• Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver: An Anglican cathedral in downtown Vancouver offering weekly worship, formation programs, outreach to vulnerable populations, and a long heritage. Comparable as a historic downtown congregation with combined liturgical, pastoral, and community-service offerings.
• St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church: A historic downtown Vancouver congregation with extensive music programming, social-justice outreach, and pastoral care ministries. Comparable as a long-established, downtown-Vancouver, multi-program worship community with strong community-service orientation.
• Broadway Church Vancouver: A multi-generational evangelical church in Vancouver with broad children's, youth, young adult, and discipleship programming. Comparable in scope of age-segmented ministries and community-led GTM in the same Metro Vancouver market.
• Westside Church (Vancouver): A large multi-generational church in Vancouver with children's, youth, young adult, and missions programming. Comparable as a similarly structured evangelical congregation serving multiple age segments within Metro Vancouver.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Baptists of Western Canada (CBWC): The regional Baptist denominational body of which FBC is an affiliated member church. Comparable as the umbrella organization that provides theological framework, support network, and shared mission infrastructure relevant to FBC's operating model.
• The Salvation Army British Columbia Division: A large faith-based nonprofit operating community services, housing, and family programs across BC. Comparable as a much larger regional faith-based operator of integrated social-service and pastoral programs, with overlap to FBC's street ministry and planned social-services expansion.

Regional players

• Pacific Grace Church (Vancouver): A Mandarin/English bilingual evangelical congregation in Vancouver. Comparable as a multi-ethnic, immigrant-engaged local church that uses ESL-style outreach and cross-cultural ministry as core programming—overlapping with FBC's ESL and Internationals Ministry.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/firstbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-first-baptist-church-of-vancouver

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The First Baptist Church of Vancouver