First Baptist Church (Ottawa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Baptist Church (Ottawa) |
|
|---|---|
First Baptist Church in Downtown Ottawa
|
|
| 45°25′14″N 75°41′36″W / 45.420653°N 75.693281°W | |
| Location | 140 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5J4 |
| Denomination | Baptist |
| Administration | |
| Division | Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec |
The First Baptist Church is a Baptist church located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is connected with the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec, which is a group of Baptist churches in Ontario and Quebec.
Contents
History of the Church
How the Church Started
The First Baptist Church was first started in 1857. It was the very first Baptist church group in Ottawa. The building you see today is at 140 Laurier Avenue West. It's right at the corner of Elgin Street and Laurier Avenue West in Downtown Ottawa.
Building the Church
An architect named James Mather designed the church building. It was built between 1877 and 1878. The first stone of the church, called the "cornerstone," was put in place by Alexander Mackenzie. He was the Prime Minister at that time. Since he was a Baptist, Prime Minister Mackenzie would attend services at this church when he was in Ottawa after it opened in 1878.
Remembering Important Events
The church has special plaques to remember people. These "memorial plaques" honor members of the church who served in the First World War (also known as the Great War). They also remember those who gave their lives during that war.
The church building was made bigger in 1914. It was also updated a lot in 1928. Another memorial plaque was put up to remember members who served and died in the Second World War (1939-1945).
Later Changes and Growth
In 1966 and 1967, a very large musical organ was put into the church. This was done to celebrate Canada's 100th birthday, called Canada's Centennial. Later, from 1999 to 2002, the church building had a lot of important repair work done.
The church group has always stayed in the downtown area of Ottawa. Over the years, they have helped start other new Baptist churches. Some of these include McPhail Memorial Baptist Church, Fourth Avenue Baptist Church in The Glebe, Kanata Baptist Church, and Bilberry Creek Baptist Church in Orleans.
See also
