Effective September 1, 2026, Cornerstone Baptist Church will transition from one multi-site congregation into three distinct churches serving Cornwall, Stratford, and Montague, following an overwhelmingly positive congregational vote at all locations.
PRESS RELEASE
Cornerstone Baptist Church Celebrates Growth Across Three PEI Communities
Cornerstone Baptist Church, a multi-site congregation with locations in Cornwall, Stratford, and Montague, is celebrating significant growth and deepening community impact across Prince Edward Island. United by a single mission to make disciples who live and love like Jesus, Cornerstone now welcomes approximately 1,100 – 1,200 people each week from a wide range of ages, cultures, and backgrounds.
From Humble Beginnings to Flourishing Communities
Each Cornerstone location carries a distinct history and longs to serve its community in unique ways.
The Cornwall site has been active in ministry since at least 1987. What began with just 20ish people gathering weekly has grown to more than 900+ today, making it the largest site and a central hub for worship, discipleship, and community outreach.
The Stratford congregation began in 2006 with around 30 people attending weekly. Today, approximately 180 people gather each week. The construction of the church building on Shakespeare Drive in 2011 reflected the rapid growth of both the congregation and the surrounding community.
The Montague location has roots dating back to 1812, originally known as Three Rivers Baptist Church and later Montague United Baptist. After courageously closing down and initiating a merger with Cornerstone, the Montague congregation relaunched as Cornerstone Montague in 2015. Weekly attendance has grown from 18 people at its relaunch to around 130 today, bringing renewed life and energy to a historic congregation.
Global and Local Impact
Cornerstone’s influence extends far beyond Sunday gatherings. Through partnerships with Compassion Canada and Canadian Baptist Ministries, the church actively supports international missions. Locally, Cornerstone provides meals to more than 450 children every weekend through its Kits of Kindness program, offering practical support and care to families across the province.
One Church Serving in Three Locations
Cornerstone Baptist Church has intentionally functioned as one church across multiple sites, sharing leadership, preaching, and a unified approach to discipleship. While each location reflects the unique character and needs of its local community, all three contribute to a shared vision and mission.
Looking Ahead to a New Season
Effective September 1, 2026, Cornerstone Baptist Church will become three distinct congregations affiliated with the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada: Cornerstone Baptist Church in Cornwall, Crossroads Baptist Church in Stratford, and Riverside Church in Montague. Church leadership believes this next step will allow each congregation to serve its community with greater focus, creativity, and passion. Following an overwhelmingly positive vote at all three sites, the church affirmed this transition as the direction God is leading them.
Cornerstone Baptist Church
Cornerstone in Cornwall will retain the name and step into an exciting new season of ministry. As the church completes a major facility expansion, it is eager to move forward with new opportunities to serve people of all ages through student ministry gatherings, seniors lunches and social events, Christmas and seasonal celebrations, the Kits of Kindness program, and a wide range of community outreach initiatives. Together, these efforts reflect a deep and ongoing commitment to caring for individuals and families throughout the community.
Church planting is woven into the DNA of the Cornerstone community, and the church looks forward to exploring new opportunities as they arise. Each week, hundreds of people from around the world gather for Sunday worship and take part in Life Groups, Moms Groups, Family Ministry Nights, Student Nights, Young Adults Nights, and a variety serving opportunities, all focused on growing together to live and love more like Jesus.
Riverside Church
Drawing both from its location in the heart of the Three Rivers area and from the image of a tree planted by streams of water in Psalm 1, Riverside Church holds the conviction that the flourishing of our region is inseparable from a healthy community of disciples—people committed to remaining deeply rooted in Christ and growing into mature believers. As the gospel of Jesus transforms our lives, those transformed lives, in turn, will help transform our community. While we celebrate and honour the unique and long history of the church in the town of Montague, we also move forward with confidence and resolve, passing the baton of an ongoing gospel witness to the generations and communities ahead.
Crossroads Baptist Church
Crossroads Baptist Church (Cornerstone-Stratford site) has been blessed with tremendous growth since its inception, both numerically and spiritually. Nestled within a suburb of the developing town of Stratford, the future of the church looks brighter than ever. Because of the recent growth in attendance and to begin envisioning how to best serve their neighbourhood, they are eyeing a new building expansion to better suit their needs and provide a home-base to carry out the ongoing work of sharing Jesus with their community and beyond. Vision planning is underway at Crossroads to ensure the church continues to be a place and a people where faith & family intersect, where those who are at a “crossroads” in their faith can explore their questions and find a place to call home.
At Crossroads, you’ll find a community of approximately 20 different nationalities and cultures all growing and serving God & their neighbourhood with one voice, as one spiritual body, rooted in their shared biblical mission. Their logo reflects this. Along the corners of it are small heart-shaped arrows pointing inward, symbolizing the convergence of many different nations participating in the life and ministry of the local & global church.
Interested in creative ways for your church to move forward?
Explore CBAC’s ChurchLink.
