St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Windsor, Ontario) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Andrew's Presbyterian Church |
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St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Windsor
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 St Andrew's Presbyterian Church
Location in Ontario
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| 42°18′56″N 83°02′26″W / 42.3156°N 83.0406°W | |
| Location | Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Denomination | Presbyterian Church in Canada |
| Website | http://stapc.ca |
| History | |
| Founded | 1857 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Spier & Rohns |
| Administration | |
| Presbytery | Essex-Kent |
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church is a church in downtown Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It belongs to the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The church started in 1857. For a while, it was the biggest Presbyterian church in Canada based on how many people were members.
Contents
Church History: How It Started
The first group of people who formed St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church came together in 1857. Twenty-nine Presbyterians asked for their own church group, separate from a church in Detroit. They got permission on July 1.
St. Andrew's then chose its first leaders on July 12. They had their first meeting in early August with 32 founding members. Alexander Bartlet was a key leader, serving as the Session Clerk until 1910 and as the Sunday school leader until 1893.
Early Meeting Places
In the beginning, the church did not have its own building. Services were held in a room above John McCrae's store. This was the same room the city government used before Windsor built its first town hall. They also met at the Old Ward School.
Because the group was small, it was hard to find a full-time minister. Often, someone from Detroit or a missionary would come to lead the services.
First Ministers and Buildings
In 1861, two Presbyterian church groups in Canada merged. They became the Canada Presbyterian Church. Rev. William Bennet, from Ireland, became the first minister in Windsor. He served from 1861 to 1863.
The first building for St. Andrew's was built in 1865. It was located at Victoria Avenue and Chatham Street. In 1866, Rev. Alexander Ferrier Kemp became the second minister. He later became a professor and helped write a book about the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
Rev. John Gray became the minister in 1870. During his time, the church built a new brick building in 1883. This building was at Victoria and Park Street. Sadly, on March 16, 1895, this church building burned down completely.
The Church Today
After the fire, the current church building was constructed in 1895. The first service in this new building was held on June 14, 1896. The church was first designed to hold 800 people. In 1903, balconies were added, allowing 400 more people to sit.
Important Leaders
Rev. James C. Tolmie was a minister from 1893 to 1915. He also became a Member of Provincial Parliament for Windsor in 1914. He was later named "Minister Emeritus" at St. Andrew's.
Rev. Dr. Hugh M. Paulin arrived in late 1915. He served the church for over 35 years until he passed away in 1952. In 1925, the church members voted on whether to join the new United Church of Canada. Only 18 people voted to join, while 607 voted against it. This meant St. Andrew's stayed with the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
After Dr. Paulin, Rev. Dr. William Lawson served from 1953 to 1981. Then came Dr. Robert Fourney (1982-1996) and Rev. Dr. Jeff Loach (1997-2004).
Building Changes and Events
In 1983, a new part was added to the church building. This included the Meeting Place and the Herman-Clark Hall. The offices and Sunday School rooms were also updated.
In June 1980, St. Andrew's Church hosted a big meeting for the Presbyterian Church in Canada. The opening service was held at St. Andrew's. In June 1997, this big meeting returned to Windsor.
The church celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2007. The celebrations began with the arrival of their ninth Senior Minister, Rev. Ronald Sharpe.
Current Activities
The church building also hosts a Chinese-speaking church group. This group, called the Windsor Chinese Presbyterian Church, holds services every Sunday afternoon.
On May 1, 2016, the church members voted to stop their current operations. They decided to sell their building and land. They are now looking into new ways to serve the downtown area due to money concerns.
