In 1956, founder Rev. Roy E. Upton, began meeting in a bowling alley on the property of Bethel Home for Girls at 664 Kennedy Road. Weekly drive-in Sunday services were held at a Dominion Store parking lot, where services were carried by amplifier to approximately 100 cars. Construction began in a wheat field at 710 Markham Road, with Phase 1 of Scarboro Gospel Temple (SGT) completed in 1957, and Phase 2 in 1963, with a seating capacity of 700. With the first offering dedicated to global missions, the vision and mission of SGT was clear. We would be a church with global missions at its heart, equipping believers to go and make disciples.

Rev. James Weller became SGT’s pastor in 1967. Rev. Weller held well-attended summer evangelistic tent crusades on the corner of Markham and Lawrence, and soon the church was full to overflowing. Volunteers drove 11 school buses that picked up children and families for Sunday services. Each bus was branded with the slogan, and some were flagged down for pick-ups enroute. SGT became known as “the Church that cares and shares.”

Rev. Hudson Hilsden pastored Scarboro Gospel Temple from 1975 to 1983. His ministry emphasis was the necessity of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. In May 1978, SGT expanded once more. A three-acre plot of land at 6705 Sheppard Avenue East was purchased, and development for another church began. This new development, Malvern Christian Assembly, was planted with a focus and thrust in children’s ministry.

In 1983, Rev. George Atkinson’s strong teaching ministry began. The church continued to grow deeper in the Word and wider into the community. Rev. Robert Johnston began his ministry at SGT in 1996. With charismatic preaching and gracious leadership, the church used every corner of its facility to meet the needs of the community. With only 51 parking spots, cars lined the roads on Sunday mornings, and people shuffled through a cramped foyer to find a seat on a wooden pew.

Once again, there was expansion in 2005, with the purchase of 11 acres of land at 1250 Markham Road. The vision was cast, “We’re going places,” and we did. The new facility was completed in 2008 and became the main operating base for mobilizing believers and propelling them into their God-given destiny. With the new building came a new name, Global Kingdom Ministries, and a fresh vision, “Life with Jesus – Every Day, Everywhere.”

Today, GKM Church continues to grow deeper and wider, attracting over 2000 attendees for onsite Sunday services, with a vibrant live stream ministry that reaches people in dozens of countries around the world. An onsite gym is used regularly free of charge, for programs such as children’s soccer, men’s basketball, badminton and volleyball, as well as by the community for events such as Blood Donor Clinics. Missions and outreach remains at the forefront of everything we do, both locally and internationally. The legacy continues with anticipation of greater things ahead.