Location: Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

Presbytery: St. Lawrence

Organization: 1861 (Glengarry, Ont.)

Membership: 27 communicant; 21 baptized

Pastor: Dan Dupuis

Website: http://www.rpcmontreal.org/

The Hudson/St.-Lazare Reformed Presbyterian Church has a long history of knowing God’s faithfulness and goodness from generation to generation.

Our history as a congregation stretches back at least 180 years. A congregation of Reformed believers began gathering formally in Lochiel, Ont., in 1838. Some documents indicate that an earlier date of 1816 is possible. A building was constructed on Brodie Road in Lochiel in 1870. Until 1998, our congregation worshiped in this quaint and un-modernized building in the countryside of Ontario, very close to the border with Quebec.

In 1998, the Lochiel congregation officially became the new Hudson/St.-Lazare congregation of the RPCNA, with a view to serving the growing population in western Quebec. We discontinued regular Lord’s Day worship in our building in Lochiel, although we still regularly meet there a few times a year for a Good Friday psalm sing, vacation Bible school, or other church picnics and events.

We rented space in a small church building in Hudson, Que., for a few years. But when the hall in Hudson was no longer available we moved to a rental space in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. We are thankful to the Église Baptiste Évangelique de Vaudreuil for renting us their church building on Lord’s Day afternoons. We have a worship service at 2 p.m. every Lord’s Day and an hour of Sabbath school classes afterward. On the first Lord’s Day of every month, we gather together after the service in the adjacent fellowship hall for a wonderful potluck fellowship meal.

During the week, there are two regular weekly Bible studies: one for those living more to the west, and one for those living more to the east. We also have monthly men’s and women’s studies, as well as occasional events for youth, children, and families. We love hosting vacation Bible school for local children. Our congregation maintains an outreach of preaching the Word of God at a home for the elderly, as well.

In fall 2019, we welcomed Pastor Dan Dupuis, his wife, Miriam, and their young son, Caleb, into our congregation. After six years without a pastor, we rejoice greatly for God’s provision of the Dupuis family in our midst. What a balm and a blessing it has been to have an undershepherd to care for us again. During the time that our pulpit was vacant, we were blessed to have Elder Brian Brodie, student Reuben Lindeman, and many other visiting pastors come to preach the Word to us on the Lord’s Day. God always provides graciously for the needs of His people.

While our congregation has changed names and meeting locations multiple times in its long history, God’s faithfulness from generation to generation is evident. Our building in Lochiel—even though it is vacant for much of the year—is located on Brodie Road, named after the generations of the Brodie family who have lived there. We still have Brodie family members in our pews every Lord’s Day.

God is continually growing His covenant family in our midst. About 20 percent of our members are under the age of 18. How good it is to see children growing in the faith! Our church has a diverse makeup of individuals and families. Some of us were born into Christian families, and others came to know Christ later in life. Some of us are originally from Canada, but others are from the United States, Mexico, and Bulgaria. We speak many languages, know many cultures, come from many places, and have varied skills and talents. But we are one in the body of Christ, growing in love for Him and for each other as we study the Word together.

While we have been able to continue meeting together each Lord’s Day online during Quebec’s long and strict lockdown due to COVID-19, we would appreciate your prayers that we would, with boldness and love, continue to point our community to Christ—that God would continue to keep His lampstand burning bright in our community. Please pray that God would bless His people in Hudson/St.-Lazare with increasing love for Christ, one another, and our lost neighbors.

—Amanda deBlois