It's All About Connecting and Staying in Touch
Generations
since 1820 have come together not only for worship but for fellowship and community. St.
Andrew’s has been host and sponsor of pre-school Mission Bands, Playgroups and
Sunday School, Youth Groups, Explorers, CGIT, Ladies Aid Societies, Women’s
Associations, Women’s Missionary Societies, the United Church Women (UCW) and Study
Groups. Decades later the people of our church family still gather at our beautiful building
or in our homes to share our faith and stay in touch with the community.
The Congregation
Early
area settlers, mainly from Ireland and Scotland, first arrived in the early
1820s. At that time both Methodist and Presbyterian preachers travelled throughout
the area holding services for these pioneers in their homes, school houses and
even outdoors. By the 1830s a Methodist congregation had been established in
Cedar Hill and a Presbyterian congregation in Ramsay. In those days everyone travelled
by foot through the backwoods to attend worship in their respective faiths. A
Presbyterian church was built in the village in 1838 where visiting ministers led
worship. It wasn’t until 1840 when a Kirk Session (the first court of the Presbyterian
Church) was formed to procure their own minister for a congregation that became
known as St. Andrew’s.
Over the decades several changes in area Presbyterian and Methodist congregations helped to form St. Andrew’s into what it has become today. In 1854, following a dispute between Presbyterian Churches in Scotland, the Pakenham Presbyterians split and formed two separate congregations. It was almost 30 years before the congregations reunited. In 1925, a union between Presbyterians, Methodists and Congregationalists became what is known today as the United Church of Canada. Pakenham’s Methodists and Presbyterians, undoubtedly being visionaries of their time, had actually amalgamated 5 years earlier in 1920. And finally, the Antrim congregation joined St. Andrew’s in 1949, followed by Blakeney in 1968.
Over the decades several changes in area Presbyterian and Methodist congregations helped to form St. Andrew’s into what it has become today. In 1854, following a dispute between Presbyterian Churches in Scotland, the Pakenham Presbyterians split and formed two separate congregations. It was almost 30 years before the congregations reunited. In 1925, a union between Presbyterians, Methodists and Congregationalists became what is known today as the United Church of Canada. Pakenham’s Methodists and Presbyterians, undoubtedly being visionaries of their time, had actually amalgamated 5 years earlier in 1920. And finally, the Antrim congregation joined St. Andrew’s in 1949, followed by Blakeney in 1968.
The Ministers
Since
the very beginning when Rev. Dr. Alexander Mann arrived from Scotland in 1840,
St. Andrew’s has been blessed with dedicated ministers. Rev. Mann served the
people of St. Andrew’s for 42 years and left a great legacy of records of
baptisms and marriages from those early days. These records have been indexed by the
Kingston Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.
By the 1890s, Dalkeith Street was the location of both the Methodist parsonage and the Presbyterian manse. After union in the 1920s the Presbyterian manse was sold and the Methodist parsonage became the home of most succeeding ministers until it too was sold in 2011. Ministers in recent memory included Rev. Harold Davies (1966-1971), Rev. Cecil Dodds (1972 - 1984), Rev. Walter Henry (1984 - 1985), Rev. Tom Lowry (1986 - 1991), Rev. Heather Kinkaid (1991 - 2008) and Rev. Debbie Roi (2008 - 2013). Rev. Camille Lipsett and Rev. Barry Goodwin served as temporary ministers while we awaited the arrival of Rev. Jeff de Jonge in the summer of 2015.
Front Row - Left to right
Unknown, Alex Tait, James Lindsay, James Connery Back Row - Left to right Rev. E. S. Logie (Minister of St. Andrew's at the time of its construction), Robert Graham, Henry Blair Photo was taken in 1897, shortly after the church was built, and donated by Mrs. Annie M. Steen, Granddaughter of Robert Graham The Building
The interior of St. Andrew's Church in 1898 showing some of the 90 electric lights which were a feature of the church.
Photo donated by Edna Ross
The
church building went up in 1897, replacing three earlier Presbyterian churches. A clay tile
roof was in the original plans in 1897 but was not installed at that time. Following almost a
century of roof repairs that tile roof was finally added in 1990. Another major
project over the years has been the repair and re-leading of the beautiful
stained glass windows. And an extensive renovation 2009 resulted in the
addition of two furnaces and a modern kitchen facility.
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