about us
What we believe
At Coquitlam Presbyterian Church we hold to the following beliefs.
- There is one, true God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (II Corinthians 13:14)
- Jesus Christ is truly God and truly human. (John 1:1,14) Sin separates us from God. (Romans 3:23)
- Salvation comes from God's grace alone and is received by faith in Jesus Christ who has died for our sins. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
- The Holy Spirit dwells within all who know Christ. He is our Comforter and Guide. The Spirit blesses us with various gifts to fulfill our ministries. (I Corinthians 6:19)
- The Bible is the inspired Word of God, given to be the rule and faith and life. (II Timothy 3:16)
- Jesus Christ is alive and will return to earth as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. (Revelation 17:14)
meet the staff
Rev. Graeme Illman, Lead Pastor:
Graeme joined the CPC team as Lead Pastor in August 2009. He and his beautiful bride, Karen, have three children: Joel, Charis, and Hannah. Graeme and Karen have a daily passion to enjoy God through relationships. Graeme comes to CPC with a strong desire to preach and teach in ways that make the Bible understandable and accessible to everyone. "I don't think we should have to choose between preaching to people who are new to church or preaching to mature believers. I believe that the Word of God is active and relevant and has the power to speak directly to the hearts of everyone gathered - church veteran and rookie alike." Graeme's heart for ministry here is that we would increasingly become an irresistible community of people who are living out the vital message of Jesus Christ in relevant and practical ways to a hurting city and world. Graeme came to CPC after serving in church ministry for 3.5 years in Atlanta, Georgia and, most recently, for nine years in Ontario. In his spare time, he enjoys running and golf (just not at the same time).
Lori Berry, Worship Director:
Lori has been the Worship Director at Coquitlam Presbyterian Church since May 1998. It is her desire to see the church grow, not only in numbers, but in their understanding of worship. She believes that worship needs to be seen not as the time in the service when we sing our favorite songs, but instead, worship needs to occur throughout the entire service-the prayers, the readings, the special music, the sermon-as well as in our daily lives. We can worship God in every activity that consumes our daily routines by always being conscious of His presence, consistently being thankful to Him for His many blessings, and considering what He would want us to do in every circumstance in order to bring glory to His name.
Music has always been a passion for Lori. From an early age she learned to sing parts by sitting next to her parents in church. Piano lessons were a weekly affair from the age of six until the completion of high school. School choirs, concert bands, and marching bands were some of her favorite high school activities and because of them, she got to travel to many different destinations, including Nashville, TN. Bible School brought more musical experience, including the BBC Chorale (a touring choir) and Song of Adonai (a touring a capella group that Lori directed).
Since coming to CPC, it has been Lori's desire to see more people become involved in the worship services and, like Terry, it is her desire that people come to church on Sunday mornings because there is no other place they would rather be. It is her prayer that Coquitlam Presbyterian become a church that is actively involved in passionate and enthusiastic worship of the Almighty God and that people who come into our church would sense the presence of the Lord and want to know more about Jesus Christ.
Peter Little, Adult Ministries Director:
Peter joined our staff in May 2008 and comes to us with a passion for seeing followers of Jesus do life together. “Isolation is the antithesis of the Christian life. Although we may feel isolated at times, we are never actually alone; Emmanuel God is with us. And even more, Emmanuel is with us in the faces of our fellow sojourners. Besides, life together is simply better (although admittedly more difficult at times!).” Peter comes to us from Vancouver where he received his Masters of Divinity at Regent College.
Tracy Wallace, Youth Director:
Tracy started volunteering in Kids Ministry in 2002 as a leader in Pioneer Club, which later led to leadership opportunities in Kids Church on Sunday mornings. Her passion for quality Christian Education for children and a desire to teach with the end in mind recently led her to a position as Director of Youth Ministry at CPC. "Playing a part in the spiritual development of these amazing teens has been incredibly gratifying. We have some of the best teens in the Tri-City area in our youth group and it’s such a pleasure to see them grow in their learning of what it means to live in Christ. One of the great rewards is when they start inviting their friends to be part of what they’re experiencing."
Coquitlam Presbyterian Church History
God has been faithful in guiding our congregation since its ministry began 35 years ago. On September 12, 1965, Rev. Maurice McLuhan led CPC’s first service at the Simon Fraser Health Unit in Coquitlam. The following year, the congregation was officially constituted by the Presbytery of Westminister. Rev. Ross Manthorpe was appointed as the minister.
As of January 1, 1971, the congregation began meeting at Porter Street Elementary School. In August of that year, Rev. Keith Wilcox became the minister and led the congregation into the building of its first sanctuary. On October 29, 1972, a dedication service was held for the new church building on the corner of Como Lake Ave. and Blue Mountain Street.
In August of 1978, Rev. Terry Hibbert, and his family came to Coquitlam. In 1979 plans were drawn up for a new church sanctuary and office area. On January 10, 1982 our present sanctuary was officially dedicated. Since then our congregation and its ministries have continued to grow. In 1993, further expansion plans were drawn up to add a balcony and second floor. This was completed in 1995.
Our task now is to fulfill the vision God has given us: to reach others with the love and salvation of Christ; to teach and equip people that they might become disciples of Christ; and to glorify God in our worship.
