Christ Community Church

Our Vision:  To see Christ's power made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Our Mission: To grow by God's Grace Beyond Brokenness  (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) 

Rev. Carson W. Culp, M.Div - Minister of Word & Sacrament

Carson W. Culp was born in Dunnville in 1959. He is the youngest of three children and the only son born to Eleanor and Carson John Culp. During his childhood, from 4 years of age to 12, the family lived on Wright St. in Welland prior to relocating back to Dunnville. Carson (Jr.), known to many as "Knobby" attended St. Peter's and Paul School in Welland, St. Michael's School in Dunnville, and the Dunnville and District Secondary School graduating in 1977. Published in his grade 10 year book was a poem indicating that a call to ministry was already at work on his heart and mind. 

He married Donna in 1977 and worked at Atlas Steels in Welland from 1977-1982. They have two sons, Philllip John Culp was born in 1978 and Jason Michael in 1982.  Laid off as a result of the recession of the early 1980's Carson found work at Grandview Lodge and graduated from Niagara College as a Certified Orderly in 1983. With an itch for learning he continued studying in the Ontario Management Development Program through Niagara College and Fanshawe College where he earned a Business Management Certificate. He worked at Grandview/Norview Lodges from 1982-1989 serving for four years as a nursing aid and 3 years in housekeeping/laundry supervisory positions.  In the late 1980's Carson and Donna began watching the Crystal Cathedral on television and after some time made a transition from the Roman Catholic Church to the Reformed Church in America of the which the Crystal Cathedral was a part. Business and finance were always of interest to Carson and so he continued with evening courses through the Society of Management Accountants. 

In 1990 Carson purchased an interest in a accounting practice in Dunnville, but the call of God was unrelenting. Over a two year period he sold his interest in the practice and enrolled at Ontario Bible College in Toronto where he completed a 1 year certificate program. The family relocated to Grimsby and Carson worked at Bethesda Homes and Camp Shalom in Cambridge while studying in the Monday program at Ontario Theological Seminary with counseling as his major. The family joined Forestview Community Church in Grimsby where they lived until 1995. It was then that the opportunity to expedite studies came unexpectedly. Off the family went to Holland Michigan for a whirlwind 18 months after which Carson graduated from Western Theological Seminary with a Master's of Divinity degree in June of 1997. It was quite a journey and one that wouldn't have been possible without God's grace through the support of family, friends, and complete strangers.

Carson served as Pastor of Faith Reformed Church in Kingsville, Ontario, for nine years from June 1997-June 2006. He was the first non-dutch Pastor to a predominantly dutch congregation. After a difficult adjustment period, love began to grow up and continues to this day. Then the opportunity came to return home in June 2006 to inner city Welland where Carson has served as Pastor of Christ Community Church ever since. 

Donna and Carson have been busy. Besides working (Donna being a long time professional hairstylist) there have been church renovations, home renovations, and the arrival of three grandchildren! Carson has taken up a new hobby of motorcycling. In 2009 & 2010 the church held motorcycle cruises to raise money for local mission work. Carson is thankful for his many life experiences and finds them most helpful in connecting God's Word with hearts of a wide range of people in his challenging work as an inner city church Pastor. 

He is currently undertaking Doctorate of Ministry studies exploring the convergence of mental health, addictions, poverty and faith in Christ.