Southridge Community Church

What Southridge Community Church does

Southridge Community Church is a multi-site Christian nonprofit church founded in 1980 (originally as Fairview-Louth Mennonite Brethren Community Church) and headquartered at 201 Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines, Ontario. It operates three physical campuses across the Niagara region — St. Catharines, Vineland, and Welland — each organized around a distinct Anchor Cause: homelessness (Southridge Shelter, a 24/7 emergency shelter at St. Catharines), migrant farmworker support (Caribbean Workers Program at Vineland), and food/housing security (Southridge Kitchen at Welland). A fourth Anchor Cause, 'Becoming Good Relatives' (Indigenous Relations), extends the missional programming beyond the three location-defined causes. The church also runs Family Ministry (nursery through senior youth), Life Groups (small communities of 8-12 people meeting weekly or bi-weekly), and a Prayer Wall digital community. In February 2023, following a member-wide discernment process, Southridge adopted the 'Love Beyond Belief' framework, formally embracing full and equal LGBTQ+ inclusion with over 80% membership support.

The organization employs approximately 27 staff across pastoral, operational, and program roles — including Co-Lead Pastors, Location Pastors, Directors of Connection and First Impressions, a Video Ministry Director, an Action Pastor, and a volunteer Board of Elders (chaired by Shane Ritzema) providing governance. Its technology stack is standard nonprofit/church infrastructure: Planning Center for member management and online giving (via automatic withdrawal, e-transfer, and the Church Center giving platform), Vimeo for sermon video hosting, a custom 'Heart' theme website, and a mobile app (Southridge App) for events, donations, and content access. Online services and message transcripts extend reach beyond the three physical locations. The church is AODA-compliant with a 5-Year Accessibility Plan covering 2024-2028.

Southridge is funded entirely through voluntary donations, tithes, and offerings from congregation members and attendees, with the majority of contributions designated for local and global compassion and justice initiatives. All programs, services, and participation opportunities are free. The Southridge Shelter's operational costs are partially offset by a hostel agreement with the Region of Niagara's Community Services Department. The organization holds historical affiliation with the Mennonite Brethren Conference of Churches and maintains partnerships with Mennonite Central Committee (international humanitarian work), Eden High School, Camp Crossroads, Bethesda, Radiant Care (senior care), and Leaders Village (leadership development network). Governance follows a 'staff-driven, Elder-protected' model with member approval required for Elder terms and major decisions.

Name

Southridge Community Church

Legal name

Southridge Community Church

Website

https://southridgechurch.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southridge Community Church is a multi-site Christian nonprofit operating three Niagara campuses (St. Catharines, Vineland, Welland), each defined by a distinct Anchor Cause — homelessness, migrant farmworker support, and food/housing security — serving congregation members and marginalized community groups through worship services, Life Groups, and Family Ministry, funded by voluntary donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Faith-Based Community Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Religious services
• Community outreach
• Faith community
• Homelessness shelter
• Multi-site church

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Catharines

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Voluntary donations from church members and attendees, with the majority of funds designated for local and global compassion and justice initiatives. Donations can be made via automatic withdrawal, e-transfer, or the Church Center giving platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Southridge Community Church is a non-profit religious organization delivering multi-site faith-based services across three Niagara region campuses (St. Catharines, Vineland, Welland) and online. Its core offerings are Sunday weekend worship services, Life Groups for small community formation, three Anchor Causes (homelessness shelter, migrant farmworker support, food/housing security), and Family Ministry programs for children and youth, all provided free of charge and funded by voluntary donations.

Product overview

Southridge Community Church operates as a multi-site church across three locations in Niagara (St. Catharines, Vineland, and Welland) with a unified ministry model. The organization offers Weekend Services as its primary gathering experience, supplemented by Life Groups for small community formation, and Anchor Causes for missional engagement targeting homelessness, migrant farmworkers, and food/housing insecurity. Family Ministry serves children and youth across all locations, while the Online Service platform and Southridge App extend digital access to sermons, prayer, and giving. The church is governed under a 'Love Beyond Belief' framework emphasizing inclusive community across theological perspectives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Southridge Shelter: 24/7 emergency shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness located at the St. Catharines campus
• Southridge Kitchen
• Caribbean Workers Program

Products and services

• Weekend Services
• Life Groups
• Anchor Causes
• Family Ministry
• Online Service
• Prayer Wall
• Southridge App
• Southridge Shelter
• Caribbean Workers Program
• Southridge Kitchen
• Giving/Donations
• Baptism

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80% of membership supported full LGBTQ+ inclusion in February 2023 discernment process

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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.

• Region of Niagara - Community Services DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthridge has a hostel agreement with the Region of Niagara's Community Services department. This partnership helps offset costs of running the homelessness shelter services at the St. Catharines location and supports mutual values of providing holistic care and ongoing support to those experiencing homelessness.
• Mennonite Brethren Conference of ChurchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginally founded as part of the Mennonite Brethren Conference of Churches. This historic association has enabled Southridge to support effective ministries and provides denominational affiliation and support network.
• Radiant Care Tabor & Pleasant ManorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior care facilities supported through the Mennonite Brethren network connection.
• Eden High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational ministry partner supported through the Mennonite Brethren network.
• BethesdaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService ministry partner supported through the Mennonite Brethren network.
• Camp CrossroadsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamp ministry partner supported through the Mennonite Brethren network.
• Rugged TreeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational ministry partner with whom Southridge collaborates on shared mission.
• Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational humanitarian organization partnered nationally/internationally with Southridge for global compassion and justice initiatives.
• Leaders VillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership development network where Southridge offers ministry-specific consulting, speaking support, governance experience, and shares real-time learnings with other churches.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Meeting House: Multi-site Canadian church known for inclusive theology, multi-campus model, and digital-first weekend services — the closest direct comparator to Southridge's inclusive, multi-site, digitally-distributed approach.
• Westside Church: Multi-site Mennonite Brethren church in the Vancouver area with strong family/youth and community-impact programming, comparable in denominational heritage and programmatic breadth.
• Forward Church: Multi-site Mennonite Brethren-aligned church in the Greater Toronto Area with community-focused programming, directly comparable to Southridge's MB heritage and community-engagement model.
• Northview Community Church: Multi-site Anabaptist-rooted church in the Fraser Valley, BC, with comparable multi-campus structure, family ministry, and community service orientation.
• Sanctuary Church Toronto: Inclusive, multi-site-style church in Toronto emphasizing justice, community, and social outreach — closely comparable to Southridge's Anchor Cause, inclusive 'Love Beyond Belief' positioning.

Regional players

• Southwest Centre Church / Hope Bible Church: Mennonite Brethren church network in Western Canada; comparable denominationally but operating in a different Canadian geography.

Others

• Start.ca / Public-Interest Tech: Southridge Shelter (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Southridge Community Church) is itself a direct comparator for Niagara-region emergency-shelter operators and community social-service providers partnering with the Region of Niagara.
• Salvation Army Niagara: Faith-based social services provider operating homelessness, food security, and family support programs in the Niagara region — comparable as a faith-rooted social service ecosystem partner/peer in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• Centre Street Church: Established Calgary-based multi-site church with extensive community and family programs; comparable as a broader incumbent operating a multi-site church model in Canada.
• The Peoples Church: Larger established Toronto-area multi-site church with broad programming and a long operating history; comparable in multi-site structure but at greater scale and broader scope than Southridge.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/SouthridgeCommunityChurch
• Facebookfacebook.com/southridge
• Instagraminstagram.com/southridge_church
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southridge-community-church

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Southridge Community Church