Time to ‘pass the torch’: East Preston church expansion begins
Pastor says transformational renovation aims to create more space for community, youth
Yuan Wang · CBC News · Posted: Jun 15, 2026 5:05 PM ADT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago
Spirits were high in East Preston, N.S., on Sunday as the community celebrated a groundbreaking service for their $3.5-million church expansion. The CBC’s Molly MacNaughton has the story.
The pastor of one of Canada’s oldest Black churches says a transformational expansion project will secure the church’s crucial role in East Preston, N.S., into the future.
Members of East Preston United Baptist Church, community leaders, government officials, partners and supporters gathered Sunday to celebrate the groundbreaking for a $3.5-million renovation that’s been years in the making.
“We are building for people we will never meet,” said Rev. Andrea Anderson. “We are intentional about sowing seeds into the next generation.”
Established in 1842, the church is a landmark in one of Canada’s largest Black communities. The centrepiece of the renovation, which will preserve the church’s original sanctuary, will be a multi-purpose hall intended to be a community hub.
The project will include a café and classroom space to serve families, youth and seniors, Anderson said.
Black youth will have the opportunity to develop business skills at the new café, while the classroom space will accommodate children’s Sunday school, seniors’ recreational activities, and other programming and events.
Anderson said the church has provided sanctuary and aid to the Black community in East Preston throughout its history, a role it continues to fulfil today.
Construction will take about one year to complete. Funding for the project has been primarily sourced through a capital campaign, internal offerings and financing, she said.
‘Looking towards the future’
Kendra Slawter, 29, has attended the church since she was a child and said it was “part of my home.”
Slawter, who was at Sunday’s ceremony with her son, said she was overjoyed to see the vision come true.
“To now have a youth centre where it’s devoted to the church means that they’re looking towards the future with the youth in mind,” she said.
Members of the congregation said it’s important to create space for children and bring young people back to church. (Molly MacNaughton/CBC)
Joshua Williams said the church carried him through hardships, especially after he lost his older brother to gun violence in 2022.
He said the congregation’s support for his whole family helped them “see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Williams recalled attending church with his grandmother in the front pew, and how his mother kept him involved in the junior choir from a very young age.
He said it’s time now to “pass the torch” to the next generation, and he believes the new church will “create a vibe” for the community’s young people.
“We’re trying to implement a lot of different programs and activities to bring the youth back into the church because we realize the importance of that,” he said. “They are the future.”