When Elim Tabernacle moved from its Idylwyld Drive location to the east side of the city, Kerry and Irene Moffatt, then pastoring in Melville, began to pray that God would send someone to reach the people on the west side of Saskatoon. They continued to pray until January 1977, when they both felt that God was asking them to pioneer the outreach work about which they had been praying.
After consulting with James Tyler, the district superintendent, and Pastor Michael Horban of Elim Tabernacle, the decision was made to start a church. Pastor Glenn Bashler, minister of Christian education at Elim, secured the gymnasium at the Lester B. Pearson School. This new school was situated ideally at the west end of the Pacific Heights-Confederation Park area. Elim and the Saskatchewan district promised to share in partially supporting this venture.
Kerry, Irene, and their son Carl moved to Saskatoon in July 1977. During the summer, Kerry knocked on doors, announcing services and inviting people to attend. Irene found a part-time job.
Fourteen people attended the service that first Sunday in September 1977 at what was then known as Confederation Park Branch. By the second Sunday, Jeanne Edwardson, a fine pianist, had come to direct the music, and her husband, Chris, began teaching a class. The Gibsons and Barb Stenerson also taught classes, for by then they had organized Sunday school with four classes, which met before the morning service. Evening services were begun in the spring of 1978.
Mrs. Ethel Pennington, her daughter Sandra, and family were among the first fourteen people who attended Westside’s initial service. Others continued to join and assist. Marj Wilson, Volker and Patsy (Findling) Rininsland helped with teaching and music, Tom and Deloris McConnell initiated a Friday youth night in the Confederation Park School gymnasium. Some nights there were sixty young people attending. Barry and Rita Barnhart, Central Pentecostal College students, began youth services at the church and helped in the Sunday service. David Leskowski, one of the first to be converted to Christ, ran a coffee house in a downtown location.
While receiving financial assistance from the district, a steering committee with Chris Edwardson, Flora Gibson, David Laird and Dennis Stenerson was formed in the fall of 1978. The church became self-supporting as of April 1, 1979. The name was then changed to Westside Pentecostal Church, and the first board members were elected: Chris Edwardson, David Laird and Volker Rininsland.
As the church developed, there were new faces and many changes. A Women’s Ministries group was formed with Marj Wilson as the first president, Keith and Wendy Milne served as assistant pastors from the summer of 1979 to the spring of 1981. Wendy became the commander of our first Crusader group, November 1979. At this time the Wee College Program was begun. John and Amelia Moffatt directed Christian education during the 1981-1982 year.
With the growth of the church came a need for larger facilities. In October 1979, the Westside congregation moved into the Cosmo Civic Centre where services were held on Sunday and Crusaders and Wee College on Friday nights. Weekly prayer meetings continued in the homes.
Early in their history they began taking building fund offerings. The congregation was encouraged when they received gifts of money from two sources, one in Saskatchewan and the other from outside the province. The board decided that when the building fund reached $35,000.00, they would look for property. This amount was finally reached and after considering several pieces of property, they chose two and a quarter acres on Gropper Crescent and Fairlight Drive in Fairhaven. The city suggested two and a quarter acres on the corner of Fairlight Drive and MacCormack Road. After lengthy negotiation, and when it was evident that God had led them in securing this parcel of land, they made a down payment on the property and turned the sod in June 1983.
Construction of the church facility began in February 1984. The entire congregation worked very willingly and diligently to complete the building, God blessed and strengthened the builders, and on June 2, 1984, District Superintendent Paul Hawkes dedicated the Westside Pentecostal Church to the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
Pastor Kerry and Irene Moffatt write, “Since our dedication, Doug and Kathy Cassidy have joined as assistant pastors. We expect great blessings from the Lord Jesus at Westside.”