Central Pentecostal Tabernacle
Encyclopedia
The Central Pentecostal Tabernacle was a Pentecostal church in Edmonton, Canada that stood until 2007. The large complex covered an entire city block
, featured a cedar and glass pyramid
and included several buildings and the associated Northwest Bible College (now Vanguard College
).
The site was locally famous as the location of the "Singing Christmas Tree" choir concerts. The complex belonged to the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
, and were that denomination's largest church at one point. The site is located in the Queen Mary Park
neighbourhood, just to the north of the downtown.
The two main buildings, one square and one pyramid-shaped, were constructed in 1964 and 1972 respectively and designed by Peter Hemingway
. The "square building" was one of Edmonton's only buildings in the international style
. The pyramid was considered precursor to Hemingway's signature work, the multiple pyramids of the Muttart Conservatory
.
In 2005 the buildings were abandoned and the congregation moved to a suburban location. The site was eventually sold to Time Developments and re-zoned for condominiums. The Edmonton Historical Board and the Historical Resources Review Panel recommended that the buildings be given protective status, but this was rejected by city council. In 2007 the Heritage Canada Foundation listed the site as one of the "top ten endangered places in Canada". The buildings were demolished six months later. In 2008 excavation started for The Edge condos on the site of the main sanctuary, but work as halted shortly afterwards and the site part of a "judicial sale". The former Northwest Bible College buildings are being used as commercial offices, and on the former overflow parking lot The Vermillion condos were started, but remain unfinished .
The Tabernacle was replaced by the North Pointe Community Church, a suburban megachurch
on 167 Avenue and 140 Street.
City block
A city block, urban block or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. A city block is the smallest area that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are the space for buildings within the street pattern of a city, they form the basic unit of a city's urban fabric...
, featured a cedar and glass pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
and included several buildings and the associated Northwest Bible College (now Vanguard College
Vanguard College
Vanguard College, formerly Northwest Bible College, is a degree-granting institution offering Christian education, located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Their mission is to develop innovative Spirit-filled leaders.-History:...
).
The site was locally famous as the location of the "Singing Christmas Tree" choir concerts. The complex belonged to the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is a Pentecostal Christian denomination and the largest evangelical church in Canada. It reports 234,385 adherents and 1,077 member congregations throughout Canada...
, and were that denomination's largest church at one point. The site is located in the Queen Mary Park
Queen Mary Park, Edmonton
Queen Mary Park is an inner city residential neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada located just outside the downtown core. The neighbourhood occupies land that was once part of the Hudson's Bay Company reserve....
neighbourhood, just to the north of the downtown.
The two main buildings, one square and one pyramid-shaped, were constructed in 1964 and 1972 respectively and designed by Peter Hemingway
Peter Hemingway
Peter Hemingway was an award-winning English architect who practised mainly in Canada on public works.Hemingway was born in Minster, Kent and after gaining a diploma from Rochester Technical College he emigrated to Canada in 1955. Serving briefly in the Alberta Department of Public Works,...
. The "square building" was one of Edmonton's only buildings in the international style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
. The pyramid was considered precursor to Hemingway's signature work, the multiple pyramids of the Muttart Conservatory
Muttart Conservatory
The Muttart Conservatory is a botanical garden located in the North Saskatchewan river valley, across from downtown Edmonton. The conservatory consists of four glass, pyramid-shaped structures that showcase plants from arid, tropical, and temperate climates, providing a welcome oasis of warmth...
.
In 2005 the buildings were abandoned and the congregation moved to a suburban location. The site was eventually sold to Time Developments and re-zoned for condominiums. The Edmonton Historical Board and the Historical Resources Review Panel recommended that the buildings be given protective status, but this was rejected by city council. In 2007 the Heritage Canada Foundation listed the site as one of the "top ten endangered places in Canada". The buildings were demolished six months later. In 2008 excavation started for The Edge condos on the site of the main sanctuary, but work as halted shortly afterwards and the site part of a "judicial sale". The former Northwest Bible College buildings are being used as commercial offices, and on the former overflow parking lot The Vermillion condos were started, but remain unfinished .
The Tabernacle was replaced by the North Pointe Community Church, a suburban megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
on 167 Avenue and 140 Street.