Albion church announces new name for congregation in historic building

North Point Chapel becoming Canalside Community Church

File photo by Tom Rivers: Ben Curfman is shown in July 2022 when he started as the new pastor of North Point Chapel at 19 North Platt St., Albion. Curfman and his wife Rebekah have six children. They moved to Albion from North Carolina.

Press Release, Canalside Community Church

ALBION – After approving a series of changes at a meeting of the members of North Point Chapel in February of this year, the church voted to replant entirely under a new name, Canalside Community Church.

Beginning Jan. 1, the church will officially begin displaying the new name to the community. “As we worked to make the church healthier over the last two years, several members suggested that we pursue a fresh start as a church in light of the many changes,” said Pastor Ben Curfman. “The church agreed, and Canalside Community Church was born.”

The church meets in the building formerly owned by the Albion First United Methodist Church at the intersection of North Platt Street and East State Street in Albion, across from the Orleans County Courthouse.

“We decided on the name Canalside because it says something about where we are located, one block from the Erie Canal in Albion,” Curfman said. “We discovered that people in the village did not know the former name of the church or did not realize it was located so close to them.”

In 2025, Canalside plans to address this with better outdoor signage and more interaction with the community.

“We chose to include ‘community’ in the church name because we want our neighbors to know that anyone is welcome to worship with us, whether they have a particular church background or no religious background at all,” Curfman explained.

The church’s beliefs are associated with the Baptist tradition, and it is supported by other churches and networks from across the United States including SEND Network and The Pillar Network.

“When you visit, you can expect a very simple and authentic service that includes singing, a lesson for children, and verse-by-verse Bible teaching,” he said. “We are currently going through the book of Exodus, and we cover everything – even the hard parts!”

The church pastor invites those interested to contact him with spiritual questions, thoughts, or to share their personal story. He can be reached at pastor@canalside.cc or (585) 283-4114.

Canalside Community Church is located at 19 N Platt St. Albion, NY 14411. For more information, go to their website (canalside.cc) or look up the church on Facebook.