Beulah Alliance Church

To begin, let’s talk about that name—Beulah.  A passerby once asked, what’s a Beulah?  It’s certainly not a word that comes up in ordinary conversation.

If you were to Google the word, you’d find an amazing collection of everything from rock bands, to fly rods, to towns, to conference centres, to TV shows.

“Beulah” is actually a Hebrew Bible word which means “married,” and is used to describe the relationship which God wants to have with His people.  “As a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so will your God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:4-5).  And in earlier times in church circles, the word Beulah was used to designate an intimate love bond between Christ and His church.  Simply put, God loves people, and He invites people to love Him, and love one another.   Our church’s  history can be best understood in these terms—people serving the Lord because they loved Him.

The name first found its way to Edmonton in 1907, when a group of believers founded Beulah Mission, established to minister to needy people in the growing city (the population then was about 2,500).  Over the course of the next years, the mission slowly grew, along with the city, and became known as a centre for Christian compassion and help to the underprivileged.

In 1921, the mission asked the Christian and Missionary Alliance to provide a pastor, and J.H. Woodward came from Toronto to meet this need.  It soon became evident that Woodward had a big vision - in addition to “doing church” in the traditional sense, he founded the Great West Mission, with a focus on outreach into the surrounding territory.  Early pictures show workers going out by horseback, and even dog team!  He also established the Great West Bible Institute, to provide training for those who wanted to be better equipped to serve the God they loved.

With the dawn of more modern times (the mid-1920s) came the purchase of the Gospel Car, used as a mobile chapel, and the establishment of CHMA, a radio station whose broadcasts served to make Beulah Tabernacle (as it was known then) a church home for many settlers in remote places across the northern prairies.  Missionary and Bible conferences attracted many to the church, and it continued to grow and prosper, with the inevitable result that larger facilities became necessary.  So, in 1956, the church moved from its downtown location to 124^th Street, building a church which accommodated almost 1,000 people.

Over the intervening years, Beulah has continued to grow. The 1990 move to the present location resulted in further increases in attendance and lay involvement.  Over 900 volunteers presently assist with various ministries to children, youth and adults.  Furthermore, over 40 churches today trace their roots to its influence.  The “love story” continues . . .