OUR MILESTONES
Jul 6, 1991 - Meeting held at Fil-Can SDA church to strategize the plan of church planting project.
Jul 27, 1991 - First Sabbath at the Glen Shields Public School at 150 Glen Shields Ave, Concord under the name "York Region Seventh-day Adventist Company."
Sept 14, 1991 - Moved to Thornhill Presbyterian Church at 271 Centre St, Thornhill. Officially organized as a Company by Ontario Conference President, Rick Bacchus, with Eliseo Lagazo as the First Elder.
Sept 14, 1991 - Maharlika Pathfinder Club was born. The name “Maharlika” was suggested by Neil Adap. First Club Director: Elizabeth Frias; First Deputy Directors: Leila Solijon, Ben Regoso Sr.; First Club Captain: Ben Regoso, Jr.
Sep 21, 1991 - Voted the name Mt Zion Filipino SDA Church as suggested by Angelita Mendoza.
Oct 9, 1991 - Pastor Efenito Adap was appointed Pastor.
Oct 27, 1991 - Golden Circle organized at Willowdale Church under the leadership of the late Mrs. Martha Talangbayan.
Nov 1991 - Maiden issue of Beaconlight - church’s newsletter, named by the late Dr. Isidro G. Talangbayan under the joint editorship of Evelyn Regoso & Rosendo Cuizon.
Dec 21, 1991 - Company embarked on 2 million church building project by appointing a Building Committee (Pepe & Lorna Bautista, Dr. Isidro Talangbayan, Juanito Cardona, Daniel & Rebecca Belonio Sr., Rodello Salandanan Sr., George & Leila Solijon, Felipe Movilla, Ben & Evelyn Regoso, Noel Frias, Eliseo Lagazo-Chair)
Jan 7, 1992 - First baptism held in Fil-Can Church: Reggie Ganzon, Rhodney Regoso and Mely Eugenio-Titus.
Mar 28, 1992 - Organized as a church with 225 charter members by George Atiga, NAD Associate Director for Asian Ministries, together with Ontario Conference officials: Elders Rick Bacchus, Ken Corkum, Fitzroy Maitland and Nelson Tabingo. Orville Bohn Rey and Sarah Mallari were dedicated during this organization Sabbath.
Dec 5, 1992 - Moved to Willowdale Christian Reformed Church at 70 Hilda Ave, North York.
Dec 16, 1993 - Purchased 23,555 sq. ft. commercial property located at 140 St Regis Cres., sold by Donadio Investment Co. for $608,000; reduced asking price was $777,315 (original listing price was $1.2 million).
Oct 10, 1994 - Celebrated first Thanksgiving Day, 6 AM at 140 St. Regis Cres. in an incomplete sanctuary under special permit, with partial ceiling, no carpet, no heating, and unfinished walls.
Feb 4, 1995 - First Sabbath at 140 St Regis Cres. Since the first Sabbath meeting on July 27, 1991, the congregation finally occupied the new house of worship after 3 years, 6 months and 7 days of “diligent cooperative endeavor”. (Phase I renovation was in completion).
Mar 11, 1995 - Voted to start Tagalog services in MZFC.
May 6, 1995 - Voted to install ACN Satellite Communication system with $2,000 grant from the General Conference.
Nov 11, 1995 - Voted to commence operation of Voice of Prophecy School (now Discovery Bible School).
Jul 2, 1996 - Palladini Design & Construction was awarded to construct the church façade (Phase 2). Completed in October of same year.
Mar 28, 1997 - Five years Anniversary Celebration; Membership – 315 from 224 (1991)
Nov 15, 1997 - Approve the request of the Ontario Literature Evangelists to rent the Tagalog room as their Toronto Headquarter.
Jun 1998 - Commenced participation in the “Touch of Love Ministry” (feeding the homeless).
Feb 27, 1999 - Tessie Gorospe called to serve as Bible worker.
Sep 15, 2001 - Ten year Anniversary celebration; Membership – 369.
Oct 13, 2001 - Pastor Edwin Martin installed as new Pastor.
Jun 9, 2002 - Mount Zion Food Bank Resource Centre opened. (An agency of North York Harvest Food Bank)
2003 - New Immigration Orientation Program established in partnership with SEPYR (Settlement & Education Partnership of York Region) and CCSYR (Catholic Community Services of York Region.)
Feb 22, 2003 - Received a cheque for $24,439.83 from Ontario Conference as one of the first recipients of the Conference wide Church Building Investment Fund initiative (“2 dollar a week per member giving plan”).
April 10, 2004 - Ad Hoc Committee (Ben Regoso Sr. [Chair], Frances Mae Camato [Secretary], Birthe Chan, Rosendo Cuizon, Ezekiel Lucrida, Pastor Edwin Martin, Angelita Mendoza, Felipe Movilla, George Solijon) was tasked to study whether to re-locate and buy a new church property or just to stay and improve the existing one. RESULT: Based on the study, the Church made a decision to stay and do a comprehensive renovation of the present building. It was also discovered during the study that a Subway System will have a close by station in the near future.
Jun 18, 2005 - Approve Church planting plan in St Agatha, Kitchener.
Sep 16, 2006 - Fifteen years Anniversary celebration; Membership – 469.
Feb 2008 - Pastor Joseph Batiancila installed as associate Pastor.
Oct 12, 2009 - Burning of first Mortgage after 16 years (Phase 1 & 2 mortgage) during Thanksgiving morning service.
Nov 25, 2009 - Pastor Jess Anunciacion became church pastor.
Oct 11, 2010 - Mortgage Free Church Dedication and Thanksgiving Celebration. Completely paid out the loan taken for church renovation on 2005.
Jan 29, 2011 - Pastor Sereivudh Ly installed as Associate Pastor.
Sep 17, 2011 - Twenty years Anniversary celebration; Membership – 558.
Sep 24, 2011 -Creation of the Church Governance Committee to study and recommend an enhanced organizational structure for the church.
Mar 2-4, 2012 - First Family Life Couples Retreat at Mary Holmes
Aug 1, 2012 - Rhume Jay R. Becbec as a Part-Time Youth Pastor for the period of one calendar year
Apr 22, 2012- Tagalog Room converted into a Multi-purpose Hall
Sep 2, 2012 - The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal was presented to Pastor Jesse Anunciacion in behalf of the Mount Zion Filipino Church. This commemorative medal serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.
Oct 21, 2012- Winter door at the foyer was installed at the cost of $11,630 dollars, $5000 of which is from an anonymous donor.
Nov 30-Dec 2, 2012 - Second batch of "Family Life Couples Retreat" at Mary Holmes in St. Rouches Point, Ontario.
Jan 1, 2013 - Transitioning to the new Church Governance (Partnership Model).
Mar 2, 2013 - Sis. Tessie Gorospe, MZFC Bible Worker retired.
Jul 13, 2013 – Kitchener- Waterloo Filipino Seventh-day Adventist was organized as a Company (with 23 charter members coming from MZFC) by the Ontario Conference officials, Dr. Mansfield Edwards, Dr. Dan Linrud, Ulysses Guarin, Pastor Edwin Martin and Pastor Jess Anunciacion.
Aug, 2013 - Installation of 2 new screens and 2 new projectors in the sanctuary.
Nov 11, 2013 - acquired Pro-Presenter 5 as Audio/Visual aid with site license for church use during worship services.
Nov 17, 2013 @ 2:00PM - Special Prayer Convocation and Rally for Philippine Disaster (Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda) Relief attended by Philippine Ambassador, Consul General June Mahilom-West, Ontario Conference President Mansfield Edwards accompanied by other officers, ADRA Canada Executive Director James Astleford, Members of Parliament David Adler & Joe Oliver and many guests from the Filipino Community in Toronto.
Dec 7, 2013 - Launching of the new re-designed MZFC Website through "Adventist Church Connect" - a free service offered by North American Division to all Churches and Schools.
Feb 15, 2014 - Launched the Caregivers Resource and Development Program (CRDP), coordinated by Mount Zion Filipino Seventh-day Adventist Church in collaboration with the Philippine Consulate General(Toronto) and the office of the Philippine Labor. The program provides free life-skill enhancing workshops for caregivers and their families.
Feb 23, 2014 - Baptism and Wedding conducted on same day for Michael Rebeiro and Marie Bueno, a first in the history of Mt. Zion church.
Aug 18, 2014 - Roof Replacement was completed at the cost of $163,324.
Dec 27, 2014 - Launching of Adventist Giving online through mtzion.ca website.
Apr 18, 2015 - Two Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE) teams under the coaching of Darlene Rey represented Ontario at NAD Level competition held at Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas, and both teams garnered 1st Place.
Oct 31, 2015 - Pastor Rhume Jay Becbec completed his tenure at MZFC to become a full time pastor serving at Fil-Can Church effective Nov 1st. He was hired as a partime Assitant Pastor for the Youth on August, 2013 by Mount Zion, with the church footing his monthly remuneration without Ontario Conference support. Half-way his term, the Ontario Conference started paying also half of this remuneration serving as a full time Assistant Pastor.
Sep 16-17, 2016 - Twenty Five years Anniversary celebration; Membership – 588.
Dec 17, 2017 - Downsview Park Subway Station opened for service, the closest station to the church, across Sheppard Ave. at Bakersfield.
Jan 2, 2018 - Launching of upgraded Website 3.0, ahead of decommissioning of Website 2.0 by NAD on August, 2018.
Jan 6, 2018 - Farewell celebration for Pastor Jesse Anunciacion and Family.
Jan 13, 2018 - Installation of Pastor Sereivudh Ly (a Cambodian Pastor who survived the "Killing Field" and who has been the Associate Pastor of Mount Zion since Jan 29, 2011) to become the Lead Pastor, since Pastor Jess Anunciacion is being moved by the Ontario Conference to Bramalea-Filipino Church.
Feb 17, 2018 - A visit by the Honourable Ahmed D. Hussen, MP, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship of Canada to be honoured by MZFC for his support in expediting the re-unification of the Care Giver's families, where some MZFC members were so grateful for being a recipient of his initiative. Visiting also are some members of the Parliament and other local dignitaries including Mrs. Rosalita Prospero, Consul General of the Philippines. This event happened through the effort of Sis. Lani Aguinaldo.
Jun 2, 2018 -Launch of Second Congregation @ 2:00 p.m. using the Care Group structure.
Aug 4, 2018 -Pastor Sheldon Imperio was installed as the Assistant Pastor of MZFC by Pastor Gerry Pasikatan during the Church Family Camping worship service at Rattlesnake Conservation Area.