ABOUT US
Our Story
Walmer Road Baptist Church
Walmer Road Baptist Church was founded in 1889 when pastor Elmore Harris and a small group of believers established a new ministry in Toronto’s growing Annex neighbourhood. Over the decades, Walmer helped launch new churches, supported theological education, and remained deeply engaged with the needs of its city.
More than 130 years later, Walmer continues its legacy as a welcoming, Christ-centred community committed to serving Toronto with compassion and hope.
Walmer Road Baptist Church
(1911)
Walmer Road Baptist Church (2025)
Our Mission
We are a community who are following Jesus through the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Our Values
Welcome & Belonging
We are a community of people from many backgrounds and countries, and we want everyone who comes through our doors to know they are welcome and accepted. Our hope is that Walmer reflects the truth that, through Jesus, the dividing walls between people have been broken down.
Hospitality & Care
We share life with one another — praying together, supporting one another, and creating space for questions, joys, and concerns. Our services are casual and comfortable, with couches, tables, and even a puzzle available at the back of the room, giving people freedom to sit or move in ways that help them participate.
Worship & Scripture
Our services are relaxed in format and grounded in Scripture. Preaching is based on the Bible, prayer is an essential part of our time together, and we sing using recorded music with lyrics on the screen to help us engage with God.
Serving our Community through partnerships
We seek to share God’s love in practical ways, caring for our neighbours and joining with local partners to support the wellbeing of our community.
Our Team
Rev. Elaine Poproski- Lead Pastor
Elaine became our Lead Pastor in 2016. She was ordained with the Canadian Baptists of Ontario & Quebec (CBOQ) in 2000 after having graduated from McMaster Divinity College with her M.Div. degree in 1998.
She grew up in Waterloo and spent the first 17 years of her pastoral calling in Simcoe, Ontario. Elaine loves living in Toronto. She especially loves the vibrant diversity of the city and the opportunities that diversity affords to widen perspective and better understand the extraordinary creativity of God. It is her dream that Walmer be the kind of people who genuinely reflect the truth that through Jesus all the dividing walls between human beings have been broken down (see Ephesians 2:14).
Our Team
Emmanuella Avornyoh- Admin Assistant
Emmanuella serves as the Administrative Assistant at Walmer Road Baptist Church. She has been involved in church ministry for over 12 years, serving the body of Christ in Ghana and now in Canada.
She is passionate about knowing Christ and making him known, with an interest in discipleship and community life. Emmanuella has experience in youth leadership and empowerment, including serving as President of the National Union of Baptist Students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Toronto and is pleased to serve Walmer with a deep commitment to service, excellent organizational skills, and an appreciation for this season of ministry.
What we believe
We are a part of the Canadian Baptist Family of Churches. We are a member of the CBOQ, and we hold to the values and beliefs of our fellow Canadian Baptist Family. To learn more about about we believe, please click the link below
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