St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Ottawa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church |
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St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Downtown Ottawa
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| 45°25′13″N 75°42′13″W / 45.420327°N 75.703635°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Denomination | Presbyterian |
| Administration | |
| Presbytery | Ottawa |
| Synod | Quebec & Eastern Ontario |
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church is the oldest Presbyterian church building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It has been a special place for many people for nearly 200 years.
Contents
History of St. Andrew's Church
How the Church Started
St. Andrew's is Ottawa's oldest Protestant church group. A kind person named Nicholas Sparks gave the land for the church in 1827. This allowed the church to be built and opened in 1828.
The church was built for Scottish and Irish workers. These workers were busy building the Rideau Canal. The land for the church cost 200 pounds sterling. The church was built when the workers had breaks from building the canal.
At that time, Ottawa did not have an Anglican church. So, St. Andrew's asked to be the main church in the city. This would give them rights to special land called "clergy reserves." The authorities agreed in 1837. The church received a large area of land south of the city. This area later became a neighborhood known as the Glebe.
In the 1840s, a stone house for the minister was built. The Rev. Alexander McKidd was the minister from 1844 to 1846. In 1844, some families left to form Knox Free Church. This happened because of a big split in the Church of Scotland.
Rev. William Durie became minister in 1846. He helped many sick immigrants who had typhus. Sadly, he also died from typhus in 1847. Rev. Alexander Spence then served for nearly 20 years, from 1848 to 1867. The original church building was made bigger in 1854. The current church building was built in 1872. William Tutin Thomas from Montreal designed it.
Growing Stronger
In 1875, St. Andrew's joined with other churches. These included Knox, Chalmers, MacKay, and St. Paul's. They all became part of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. This group was called the Presbytery of Ottawa.
In 1883, Rev. W. T. Herridge became the minister. In 1906, a plaque was put up for Lt Colonel John MacPherson. He was the treasurer for the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association for 36 years.
During the Great War
In 1913, Rev. A. M. Gordon was an assistant minister. He went overseas in 1914 to serve in the First World War. He served with great courage.
A memorial plaque honors Brigadier General William St Pierre Hughes. He was the first leader of the 21st Battalion (Eastern Ontario), CEF from 1914 to 1916. In 1919, Dr. R.T. Herridge retired. He was then named Minister Emeritus, which means he was still honored by the church.
Another plaque honors Major General James Lyons Biggar. He was a Quartermaster General for Canada in 1917 during the war. A beautiful stained glass window also remembers church members who died in the war. It says, "They overcame and they loved not their lives unto the death 1914–1918."
A plaque also honors Matron Margaret H. Smith. She was a nurse who served in both the South African War and the Great War. Rev. George Kilpatrick, who also served in the war, was minister from 1920 to 1925.
In 1925, the church had a vote. They decided to stay with the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Many other churches joined the United Church of Canada. Only Knox and Erskine churches in Ottawa remained Presbyterian.
Between the Wars
After 1925, there were fewer Presbyterian churches in Ottawa. St. Andrew's, Knox, and Erskine worked together on city-wide projects. New Presbyterian churches were also started. These included St. Stephen's, St. Giles, Westminster, and Knox Church in Manotick.
Second World War
During the Second World War, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands lived in Ottawa. The church offered her family a place to stay. Later, Princess Juliana gave the church a wooden lectern and a brass plaque. This was to thank the church for their kindness.
A memorial plaque also remembers church members who died or served in the Second World War. It has a famous quote: "To you from falling hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high" by John McCrae.
Rebuilding and New Churches
After 1950, Ottawa grew bigger. St. Andrew's helped start new Presbyterian churches in these new areas. Under the leadership of Rev. Dr. John A. Johnston, four new churches began after 1956. These were St. Timothy's, a new St. Paul's, St. Martin's, and St. David's. Later, other churches like Parkwood, Trinity, Grace, and Greenview were also started.
Since the 1970s
Ottawa changed over time. In the 1970s, the church decided to lease some land behind the building. The old Sunday school building was taken down. In its place, an office building called St. Andrew's Tower was built in 1988. This building is now the main office for the Department of Justice. The church still has offices and rooms on the lower levels of the tower.
Many important people have visited St. Andrew's Church. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King worshipped there. Governors General like the Earl of Aberdeen and Lord Tweedsmuir (who was also the author John Buchan) attended. Lord Tweedsmuir's funeral was held in the church in 1940.
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was baptized here during the Second World War. Her family was living in exile in Canada. The Dutch Royal Family later gave a lectern to the church. It has the Dutch Royal Coat of Arms on it.
In September 2003, the church celebrated its 175th birthday! A new book about its history, Unto the Hills Around by John S. Moir, was published for this special event.
Church Ministers
The main minister at St. Andrew's is the Reverend Dr. Karen Dimock. She was born in Scotland and moved to Canada when she was young. She studied science and earned a PhD before becoming a minister. Reverend Dimock has been the minister at St. Andrew's since November 2014.
Since 1828, fourteen main ministers have served this church. Many other assistants and student ministers have also helped. Most of these senior ministers were born in Scotland.
Two ministers, Rev. Dr. William T. Herridge and Rev. Dr. Arthur W. Currie, were also "Moderators" of the General Assembly. This is a very important leadership role in the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Rev. Dr. Daniel Miner Gordon was also a Moderator after his time in Ottawa. He later became the Principal of Queen's University.
St. Andrew's has hosted the Presbyterian General Assembly many times. This is a big meeting where leaders from all over Canada come together.
List of Ministers
- John Cruickshank (1829–1843)
- Alexander MacKid (1844–1846)
- William Durie + (1846–1847)
- Alexander Spence (1848–1867)
- Daniel Miner Gordon (1867–1882)
- William T. Herridge (1883–1919)
- George G.D. Kirkpatrick B.D. (1920–1925)
- William Harvey Leathem + (1926–1937)
- Alexander Ferguson + (1938–1942)
- Andrew Ian Burnett (1943–1960)
- Arthur W. Currie (1961–1986)
- James Peter Jones (1987–1997)
- Andrew J. R. Johnston (1999–2013)
- Karen Dimock (2014–)
+ Died while serving as minister.
See also
