The Meeting House Church Family
STAR RATINGCi's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics: |
✔+
FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
Audited financial statements for current and previous years available on the charity’s website.
C+
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
n/r
DEMONSTRATED IMPACT
The demonstrated impact per dollar Ci calculates from available program information.
NEED FOR FUNDING
Charity's cash and investments (funding reserves) relative to how much it spends on programs in most recent year.
81%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 81 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About The Meeting House Church Family:
The Meeting House is a 3-star charity that is financially transparent. It has a results reporting score of C+ which is below average. For every dollar donated, 81 cents are available to go towards the cause.
Founded in 1985 as Upper Oaks Community Church, The Meeting House Church Family (MHCF) is, according to Christianity Today, a Anabaptist megachurch. Its former preacher, Bruxy Cavey was the public face of The Meeting House and arguably Canada's most influential evangelical Christian. Following the sexual misconduct of four pastors, Gluckstein lawyers report that The Meeting House was unable to renew its insurance policy and moved its programs online. In August 2024 it suspended its public operations and reorganized within the Be In Christ (BIC) Church Collective.
MHCF is part of Be in Christ Church of Canada, a branch of the international Brethren in Christ or BIC Churches. MHCF works to follow “Jesus’ irreligious message” without the rules and rituals it attributes to organized religions. The Meeting House's building in Oakville, Ontario is shared with the Jesus Collective and Be In Christ Church of Canada (formerly Brethren in Christ).
In fiscal 2023 (year ended June), MHCF spent $5.7m on its programs, down 34% from $8.6m in F2022. The charity’s main programs are church services and grants.
Church services were 86% of program spending. Church services include Sunday morning services, the Kidmax program, Youth programs, and Home Church. The Sunday morning services are one hour long and involve Jesus-centred teaching, music, prayer, and volunteering. MHCF reports having an average Sunday morning attendance (both in person and online) of 1,565. 20% of these attendees are children aged 0-11 (Kidmax kids). The Meeting House offers a similar program for youth up to grade 12 that includes an additional midweek meeting. In 2023, MHCF engaged 314 kids and youth weekly and baptized three youths. Home Churches are small groups that meet during the week to explore Sunday’s teaching and care for their neighbourhoods together. In 2023, there were 285 Home Church attendees each week.
The remaining 14% of The Meeting House’s program spending goes towards granting. In F2023, The Meeting House granted $799k to 24 registered Canadian charities. Its largest grants were to Jesus Collective ($259k), Be in Christ Church of Canada ($232k), and Mennonite Central Committee Ontario ($106k).
December 2021: The Meeting House founder and pastor, Bruxy Cavey, has been placed on temporary leave by the board of directors, reports Yonat Shimron of Roys Report, while allegations of sexual misconduct are investigated. These allegations did not involve minors. These misconducts were against the church's rules. The Meeting House's investigation found 38 allegations of sexual misconduct by four pastors, including Bruxy Cavey. Subsequently, Bruxy Cavey has resigned from church. Christian News reports Bruxy Cavey was arrested and charged with sexual assault on additional allegations in May 2022. These criminal charges were dropped due to the time in bringing the case to trial and the Crown withdrew charges. Civil charges remain against The Meeting House, Be In Christ Church of Canada and Heritage Fellowship Baptist Church that together seek more than $6 million in damages.
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Results and Impact
Charity Intelligence found that The Meeting House Church Family reported many stories but no quantified results. This may not be a complete representation of The Meeting House’s results and impact.
Charity Intelligence has not rated this charity for impact. This shows as not yet rated (n/r). This does not affect the charity's overall star rating.
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Finances
In F2023, The Meeting House Church Family received donations of $4.3m, down 50% from $8.6m in F2022. This is the lowest level that The Meeting House’s donations have been since Charity Intelligence began reporting in 2016. Administrative costs are 19% of revenues and reported fundraising costs are 0% of donations. For every dollar donated, 81 cents are available for the charity’s programs and granting. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
MCHF has reserve funds of cash and investments of $1.9m at the end of June 2024 with a mortgage of $3.1m. This creates a negative reserve fund of $1.2m. ($46k in F2023). The mortgage is backed by The Meeting House's property at Bristol Circle. The Meeting House has land and buildings with a cost value of $14.3 million. The mortgage was refinanced in fiscal 2024 with the interest rate rising from 3.8% to 9%. Information about the new lender is redacted by the CRA Charities Directorate in the interest of privacy.
The Meeting Church's auditors, Grant Thornton, only refer to the legal claims in noting that no financial provision has been made.
Profile updated on July 13, 2024 by Abby Stout.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending June
|
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative costs as % of revenues | 19.1% | 14.1% | 8.7% |
| Fundraising costs as % of donations | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Total overhead spending | 19.0% | 14.1% | 8.7% |
| Program cost coverage (%) | (0.8%) | 58.1% | 36.5% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | 4,328 | 8,637 | 10,713 |
| Government funding | 9 | 15 | 13 |
| Business activities (net) | 467 | 274 | 75 |
| Investment income | 56 | 7 | 6 |
| Other income | 379 | 164 | 68 |
| Total revenues | 5,239 | 9,098 | 10,876 |
| Program costs | 4,887 | 6,930 | 6,199 |
| Grants | 799 | 1,643 | 1,421 |
| Administrative costs | 987 | 1,281 | 946 |
| Fundraising costs | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other costs | 128 | 140 | 150 |
| Total spending | 6,801 | 9,994 | 8,716 |
| Cash flow from operations | (1,562) | (896) | 2,160 |
| Capital spending | (69) | 80 | 165 |
| Funding reserves | (45) | 4,980 | 2,780 |
Note: DEFERRED REVENUE: To report on a cash-basis Ci adjusted for deferred donations. This affected revenues by $9.3k in F2023, ($12.6k) in F2022 and ($35k) in F2021. BUSINESS ACTIVITIES: Ci presents business activities income net of expenses, affecting revenues and expenses by ($174k) in F2023, ($147k) in F2022 and ($38k) in F2021. PROPERTY FUND: Gain on disposal of property and equipment was not included in revenues, affecting revenues by ($116k) in F2023, ($40k) in F2022 and ($14k) in F2021. GRANTS: Ci removed grants from program expenses and reported them separately based on the charity’s T3010 filing with the CRA. SPECIAL DONATIONS: In F2021, Ci included special one-time donations in donations, increasing revenue by $500k. PROFESSIONAL FEES: In F2023, MHCF reported professional fees. Ci removed these fees affecting total expenses by ($2k). CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS: Ci consolidated The Meeting House’s Statement of General Fund Activity, Statement of Restricted Funds Activity, and Statement of Property Fund Activity.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
0 |
$120k - $160k |
0 |
$80k - $120k |
7 |
$40k - $80k |
3 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2023
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
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Sources:
Ivanna Iwasykiw, Justice Delayed Isn't Justice Denied: An Update on The Meeting House Sexual Abuse and Assault Cases, May 29, 2025
Kate Shellnutt, Ontario's Most Influential Pastor Resigns Following Abuse Investigation, Christianity Today, March 10, 2022
Charity Contact
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 905-287-7000