Who We Are
Rooted in history. Growing in grace. Following Jesus together.
Gateway Church has been part of the Arnprior community for generations.
Our roots trace back to the 1870s, when many German immigrants settled in the Arnprior area and formed what became known as the Zion Evangelical congregation. Around 1875, the congregation purchased a white, frame-constructed church on Harrington Street that had previously been used by the local Methodist Church.
In 1877, Rev. L. Wittick, a German-speaking pastor from Golden Lake, began making periodic visits to Arnprior on horseback to preach and serve the growing congregation. In the years that followed, the church was formally organized, and by 1882, Rev. S. F. Graeb became the first resident pastor in Arnprior.
In 1907, the original frame church on Harrington Street was demolished and replaced with a brick building under the leadership of Rev. O. G. Hallman. That location became a spiritual home for generations of people who worshipped, prayed, served, grew in faith, and shared life together. The building still stands today and is currently used as apartments.
Over the years, the church experienced several name changes. In the early 1890s, it became part of the Evangelical United Brethren Church. In the 1960s, it joined the Wesleyan Methodist Church and became known as Arnprior Wesleyan Church. In the fall of 2017, the church was renamed Gateway Church.
After many years on Harrington Street, the congregation outgrew that location and, in February 2013, relocated to its current home in the former Alexander Reid School building at 128 Mary Street, in the heart of Arnprior.
In the summer of 2024, Gateway Church purchased a 15-acre property on Keatley Road as the future site of a new church home.
Our location has changed over the years, and our name has changed through different seasons, but our calling remains the same: to help people encounter Jesus, grow in faith, build meaningful relationships, and live with purpose.
The current Lead Pastor is Rev. Jeff O'Brien.
Gateway Church is a diverse church family made up of people from different backgrounds, ages, stories, and stages of faith.
Some of us have followed Jesus for many years. Some are new to faith. Some are rebuilding trust after difficult seasons. Some are asking honest questions about God, life, purpose, and what it means to follow Jesus.
Wherever you are on your journey, there is a place for you here.
We gather on Sunday mornings to worship, pray, learn from the Bible, and encourage one another. But church is not only something that happens on Sundays. We believe life is better together.
That is why we are a church in Life Groups.
Throughout the week, people from Gateway gather in homes and spaces across the Ottawa Valley to build friendships, study the Bible, pray, support one another, and grow as disciples of Jesus.
We are not simply trying to attend church.
We are learning to be the church.
At Gateway Church, we believe Jesus welcomes people with grace, truth, love, and hope.
Our desire is to be a church family where people can:
- encounter the presence and love of God,
- discover the hope of Jesus,
- grow in faith and spiritual maturity,
- build meaningful relationships,
- find healing and encouragement,
- serve with purpose,
- and take their next faithful step.
We believe God is still changing lives.
We believe the local church matters.
We believe the Ottawa Valley needs communities of faith that are humble, healthy, Spirit-led, and committed to helping people know and follow Jesus.
Gateway Church is part of The Wesleyan Church (Central Canada District), a Christian movement rooted in the Bible, shaped by the message of God’s grace, and committed to holy love.
We believe in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully God and fully human, who came to rescue and restore us through His life, death, and resurrection.
We believe the Bible is God’s Word and the foundation for our faith, teaching, and way of life.
We believe every person is deeply loved by God and created in His image.
We believe sin has broken our relationship with God, with others, and with creation, but through Jesus we can be forgiven, made new, and restored.
We believe God’s grace reaches toward us before we even know how to reach toward Him, invites us into salvation, and continues to transform us as we follow Jesus.
We believe the Holy Spirit empowers believers to live lives of love, holiness, service, and witness.
We believe the church is called to make disciples, care for people, serve the community, and reflect Jesus in the world.
Jesus is the foundation of who we are and all we do.
We want our worship, teaching, relationships, decisions, and mission to point people toward Him.
As a church, we are not built around a personality, a program, or a preference. We are learning to build our lives around Jesus, His grace, His truth, His presence, His mission, and His love.
We believe the Bible is trustworthy and life-giving.
We seek to teach and live God’s truth with humility, compassion, courage, and grace.
Truth without grace can become harsh. Grace without truth can become shallow. In Jesus, we see both together perfectly. We want to follow Him in that same spirit.
We do not want to rely only on our own strength, strategies, or preferences.
We want to seek God’s will, listen for His leading, and depend on the Holy Spirit.
Prayer reminds us that this is God’s church before it is ours. We want to be a people who listen, surrender, and follow where He leads.
Life is better together.
We want to be a church where people are known, loved, encouraged, challenged, and supported.
Authentic community means we do not need to pretend to be perfect. We can be honest, gracious, teachable, and committed to helping one another grow in Christ.
Following Jesus is a lifelong journey.
We want to help people take their next step, grow in spiritual maturity, and become more like Christ.
Discipleship is not only about learning information. It is about transformation, becoming people who love God, love others, and live faithfully in everyday life.
Every person has gifts, value, and a role to play.
We want to serve one another, our community, and the world with humility and love.
Serving is not just filling a role. It is a way of reflecting Jesus, building up the church, and blessing others with what God has placed in our hands.
We love Arnprior and the Ottawa Valley.
We want to be a church that brings hope, healing, compassion, and the good news of Jesus to our community.
Our heart is not only to gather inside a building, but to live as people who carry the love of Jesus into our homes, workplaces, schools, neighbourhoods, and communities.
We love gathering on Sunday mornings, but we also know that meaningful spiritual growth often happens in smaller circles.
Life Groups are one of the primary ways we build community at Gateway.
In Life Groups, people gather to study the Bible, pray, share life, ask questions, encourage one another, and grow in faith. Whether you are new to church, new to faith, or simply looking for deeper connection, a Life Group can help you find community and belonging.
You were not created to walk alone.
The best way to learn who we are is to come and see.
You are invited to join us this Sunday at 10:00 AM.
Gateway Church meets at:
Gateway Church
128 Mary Street
Arnprior, ON K7S 1E6
Please use the right side entrance when you arrive.
You do not need to have everything figured out. You do not need to dress a certain way. You do not need to know all the right words.
Come as you are.
There is a place for you here.