History


Our Story

Okotoks Alliance Church had its beginning in the home of Pastor Rudy Friesen in 1988. Pastor Friesen, his wife Sharon, and a small group of enthusiastic people met together sharing time in the worship of God through “church meetings”, social gatherings at the local pool, the local skating rinks and in each others' homes.


In early 1989 the church moved into the "Summit West School" building at 1 McRae Street, immediately to the east of what is now the Town Of Okotoks Municipal Centre. The 5000 plus square feet of space allowed the church to expand its ministry efforts, providing a strong visible street presence in downtown Okotoks.


Like many early church works, Okotoks Alliance Church led a nomadic existence, moving from it's McRae Street home to the building that now houses the movie theatre in Okotoks and to several schools in town.

The "Miracle on the Prairies"

In 1990, Okotoks Alliance Church purchased 8.8 acres just north of the Town of Okotoks. This property became the permanent home of our church.


In the fall of 1991, Pastor Friesen left his position at Okotoks Alliance Church and Pastor Tim Brazeau, his wife Roxanne and their two children continued on with the work started by the Friesens.


December of 1991 saw a “miracle on the prairies.”. Starting on Friday morning, all through Saturday, and then early on Sunday morning, OAC’s first permanent facility of 1600 square feet was erected. The chapel was built by members of the congregation, augmented by the support of men and women from Calgary, Okotoks and area. The first service saw a congregation marveling at what could be accomplished with the strength of God and trusting that the still -wet textured ceiling would not rain on them!


Expanding the Team

In the fall of 1994, OAC built a sanctuary and adjacent rooms. These were the early version of the church’s current facility. The first services were held in the sparkling new church in April 1995.  By 2000, the church had grown and needed more space, so we added the north wing for church offices and much needed classroom space.


That same fall, the church hired Darrell Wood as the first Associate Pastor. Pastor Wood, his wife Kelly, and three children, brought much needed support to the ministries of the church. Kelly also served as part-time Children's Director from 2003-2005.


Pastor Shoop also joined the church as its first Youth Pastor. With his wife Bev and their two children, Pastor Shoop established a strong youth presence among the congregation.


Summer of 2005 brought Craig Somerville, his wife Tammi, and their two daughters as Associate Pastor, with Tammi serving as part-time Children's Director from 2005-2008. That summer also brought Murray Lutzer as Youth Pastor, continuing the work that Dan Shoop had started. Terra Buschmann joined the children's ministry team from 2006-2007.


Built on the Rock

Increased demands of church ministry saw Tim Korthuis come on staff as Worship Pastor in September of 2007. Rick Kneeshaw served as Executive Pastor from November 2007 to September 2008, and Lori Hafermehl served as Children's Pastor from February 2008 to July 2009. Tim Korthuis took on the responsibilities of Children's Pastor in July 2009. In March 2009, Sharon Rae joined our staff as part-time Youth Director.


After 19 years of ministry at OAC, Pastor Tim Brazeau stepped down as Lead Pastor to pursue God's call to work overseas in June of 2010. Their wonderful times of ministry at Okotoks Alliance Church will not be forgotten. Pastor Melvin Sylvester stepped in as interim pastor to assist the church with the transition, and to assist the elder's board in searching out a new lead pastor.


In September of 2011, the church extended a call to Pastor Terry Lee and his family to come be the new Lead Pastor at Okotoks Alliance Church, which they happily accepted. The church continued to grow and reach out to the wonderful community of Okotoks. Lee Umbach served as Children's Pastor from June 2014 to December 2017, and Pastor Craig took on the role of Family Pastor, which included Youth Ministry and Small Groups.


Called to Grow

As OAC grew, the facility began to feel a little tight, so we started holding two services on Sunday mornings. Shortly after, we launched a building project, "Called to Grow," in late 2018. During the building phase, the OAC congregation met at Edison School, just a couple doors down the road. Congregation members rallied together, setting up and taking down at the school every week. It felt a bit like camp!


Ironically, just a few months after our first service in the new sanctuary on September 29, 2019, COVID hit and very few of us could regularly enjoy our new church home. During this season, we set up the technology to broadcast services to Facebook, YouTube, and the OAC website, so even when the only people in the sanctuary were the worship team and technicians, the congregation was with us in spirit via the Internet. As expected, there was some shrinkage when we started gathering in person again, but we are growing again, and we look forward to the day when we might need two services again.


While OAC has always been generous in offering our building for use by the wider community, the new sanctuary has dramatically expanded our ability to partner with local organizations.

After many years of wonderful ministry, including recovery from attempted arson (article),  Pastor Terry stepped away from OAC in the spring of 2024 and has taken the Lead Pastor role at Dalhousie Church in Calgary. The elders called Rev. Ian Trigg to serve as interim pastor during our transition.  


The congregation is excited about what God has in store for Okotoks Alliance Church, as we continue to partner with others within the community to meet spiritual and physical needs in Okotoks and its surrounding area.