A church dissolved after 63 years That’s the story of Garden Park Mennonite Brethren Church. Here we stand before its very building a testament to its rich history. Garden Park wasn’t just a church it was a community hub. Its story began in 1955 with a simple Bible study. Mennonite Brethren men meeting weekly. John J Gerbrandt saw the potential. He proposed forming a church.
The first service in Garden Park Mennonite Brethren Church was on March 6 1955. Fifty-three people attended. Formal recognition came on August 25 1955. Twenty-eight charter members laid the foundation. They named it Garden Park MB Church of Denver on October 6 1955. J J Gerbrandt became its first pastor. Three years later a groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of a new sanctuary. It was dedicated in 1960.
Garden Park Mennonite Brethren Church wasn’t just about Sunday services. It embraced community outreach. Its gym hosted countless activities. A coffeehouse for young people. Meetings of the Ruby Hill Neighborhood Association. Interns found housing there. Youth for Christ used it for counseling. Even a Spanish-speaking congregation found a home within its walls. A foster parent clothing bank operated there. Community Ministry a 501(c)3 organization supported by multiple denominations found its space within Garden Park.
A major gym remodel in 2001 enhanced its community focus. Garden Park and Community Ministry shared renovation costs. By May 2002 Community Ministry had its food bank clothing bank and offices in the gym. Garden Park’s ministry extended beyond its walls. It planted churches. It had radio programming. It partnered with other Denver churches. In 1962 it acquired 120 acres of land for Deer Creek Camp a family-oriented camp. The camp later changed hands. In the 1970s Garden Park planted Belleview Acres MB Church. It later merged with The Rock Community Church. Other planting attempts in Aurora Castle Rock and Greeley didn’t last. Garden Park even shared its space with a Korean Presbyterian Church. It also merged with a Spanish-speaking congregation but that didn’t last either.
Garden Park Mennonite Brethren Church faced challenges in recent years. Attendance declined. There was pastoral turnover. They tried a multi-pastoral model. After Peter Heim’s departure in 2018 a new chapter began. The church decided to dissolve. It joined Lighthouse Church a USMB church in Lakewood. Garden Park’s legacy of community outreach continues through Lighthouse. The building still stands in Ruby Hill ready for a new generation. It’s a new beginning. But it’s rooted in the 63 years of service and dedication at Garden Park. It will continue as a campus of Lighthouse Church. Its legacy lives on.