History

A history of St. John’s United Church
by Joyce Stephenson

It was on an October weekend in 1832 that one of the earliest settlers in Oakville by the name of Justus Wright Williams, rode his horse over to Nelson Chapel to attend the Quarterly meeting of the Nelson Circuit of the Methodist church. This was the first known connection of the Oakville Methodists with other pioneer congregations, and this is the official date recorded as the beginning of the congregation of St. John’s United Church.

Justus Williams was a leader, a community activist, a great contributor to the early life of Oakville. During his lifetime, his leadership qualities were evidenced in his diverse community roles as a founder of the Temperance Society, Town Warden, Secretary of the School Board, Treasurer of the Municipality and Justice of the Peace. Although he was an Anglican by birth, he and his wife started the first Sabbath school for the children of the community, and soon became the leader in establishing a Methodist chapel in Oakville, personally financing much of the cost. This chapel was built at the corner of Lakeshore Road and Thomas Street where the Bank of Montreal stands today. It was dedicated in October of 1840, but in less than a year, it was sold to the Anglicans due to a lack of support.

After this inauspicious beginning, the Methodists reverted to meeting in the school house where they had gathered in the earliest days. A few years later when Temperance Hall was built on Trafalgar Road at Randall Street (where Tim Horton’s now stands), the congregation moved there for Sunday services. Finally, in 1851, a successful building campaign enabled the purchase of the lot at Dunn and Randall Streets and building began. The official opening of the new church took place on January 18, 1852. Five years later, to accommodate their growing numbers, a gallery or balcony was added and for the next twenty years, this church served the Methodist congregtion well; but the population was increasing, and so was the congregation of the Oakville Methodist Church.

In the 1870′s, replacing old wood frame churches with new more substantial brick churches was the prevalent architectural trend. The Trustees began meeting more regularly under the leadership of the Rev. T.S. Howard, a known church builder who had led the Sheridan Wesleyan Methodists in the building of their new church in 1869. His encouragement and drive undeniably had much to do with the successful campaign for the new Oakville Wesleyan Methodist church built in 1877. Of course, he had some outstanding Trustees to assist him. Among them were Dr. Charles Lusk, physician and educator, John Potter, local builder, William McCraney, MP for the County of Halton, Isaac Warcup, owner of the grist and flour mill, William H. Young, merchant, school trustee, councillor, mayor, William Savage, prosperous farmer and esteemed orator.

The new church was dedicated at a memorable service on January 13, 1878 with guest preacher Dr. Benoni Ives, known as “the Great Dedicator,” from Auburn, N.Y. Before he completed his morning sermon, enough money had been pledged by the congregation to completely pay for the church, organ, sheds and fence, a total of $14,000. The morning service was so lengthy that the afternoon service had to be cancelled! Undeterred, Oakville’s Methodist faithful turned out in droves for the evening service with the legendary Rev. Egerton Ryerson as the guest preacher.

Methodist clergymen were moved often from one congregation to another, usually staying only for a two to three-year term. In the early days, laymen became local preachers who were licensed by the ordained clergy. They kept the church going in between visits from the “circuit rider” who visited every four to six weeks, depending on the size of his circuit. Their workload was unbelievably heavy as indicated by an entry in the diary of the Rev. Egerton Ryerson: “I have this day ridden nearly 30 miles, preached three times and met with two classes. I felt very much fatigued.” Circuit rider, Rev. Thomas Green wrote: “Thank God I am still strong, though I have worn out one horse, plunging over deep mud holes day after day.”

The Oakville congregation continued to grow and prosper throughout the 1890′s and into the early part of the 20th century. In 1894, a new pipe organ was donated by the Wass family (who lived in the magnificent home at what is now 457 Lakeshore Road East at Balsam Drive). Major renovations were undertaken in 1915 when the Sunday School room was enlarged, new seating (without doors) was installed in the church, and four stained glass windows replaced the old frosted coloured glass.

This period in our history has been referred to as “the Golden Age” when the church was the hub of the predominantly British society. The church was not only the spiritual centre of the community, but it was the place where social activities such as sleigh rides, picnics, parlour games and the endeavours of the international Epworth League brought young people together. There were tea meetings and bazaars organized by the ladies as fund raising projects, but the men were definitely in charge of the administration of the church. However, one prominent lady, Miss Rebecca Wass, was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1915. She was an astute business woman, having inherited the wealth of her father, William Wass. She was not only generous with her financial support, but was the founder of a young ladies’ Bible class in 1911 known as the Ever Faithful Bible Class. This class continued meeting long after Rebecca died. In fact, there were still regular meetings of this faithful group until the early 1980′s.

With the onset of World War I, many young men from the Oakville Methodist Church, fired by patriotic zeal, enlisted to help “make the world safe for democracy” as the slogan of the day decreed. When the war ended in 1918, seventeen soldiers from the congregation did not return, and their names engraved on a brass plaque in the church and the nationally registered “Soldiers’ Window,” will ensure they are never forgotten.

In 1920, a true “pillar” of the church, Dr. Charles Lusk, passed away. He and his wife had been faithful members almost from the day they moved to Oakville in 1869. They lived in the lovely old house at 205 Trafalgar Road. His name appears in the minutes of the Board of Trustees as early as 1873, serving as Treasurer during the time of the building of the church, and he was still on that Board in 1914. He served as Sunday School Superintendent for 31 years, and so when it was decided to build a new wing for the Sunday School in 1923, it is understandable that it became known as Lusk Hall.

A major change for the Oakville Methodist Church took place in 1925 when the union of the Methodists, Congregationalists and some of the Presbyterians took place to form the United Church of Canada. This Oakville church became St. John’s United Church, appropriately named after John the apostle, and the three original leaders of the three uniting churches: John Wesley of the Methodists, John Knox of the Presbyterians and John Robinson of the ongregationalists.

The congregation of St. John’s flourished throughout the 1920′s, a fact well documented in published annual reports. But when the 1930′s arrived, Oakville was affected by the Depression along with the rest of the country. The debt incurred in building Lusk Hall had not been fully discharged, and with many out of work, offerings reflected the economic times. However, that did not deter the members when it came to helping their neighbours; this time, their neighbours were in the drought stricken prairie provinces. When the whole community got together to load freight cars with clothing and fresh produce from the fields of Ontario, St. John’s people were in the forefront, actively gathering and loading supplies bound for the west.

Despite the hard times of the 1930′s, major renovations took place once again in the church sanctuary in 1938. The seating was changed from having two aisles to three aisles, just as it is today. The wings of the gallery were cut back for the second time, to the present position. New paint, new carpeting for the aisles and platform, and a new furnace completed the improvements. But the joy of rededication of the sanctuary in February of 1939 must have faded Luckly when war broke out in Europe once again, and once again, young men from St. John’s went off to serve their country. This time, twelve did not return. Their names are also engraved on a brass plaque hanging on the sanctuary wall beside the “Soldiers’ Window,” so beautifully illustrated on the cover of last February’s special heritage edition of THE BEAVER.

Like every other community in Canada after the war, Oakville began to expand and prosper. It became clear in the early 1950′s that more space was needed in the church to better serve the young families. Another major renovation took place which included building a chancel where the old gymnasium had been. This allowed more space for seating in the main sanctuary with the choir, organist and minister seated in the chancel. A new Casavant pipe organ was installed, and a narthex or vestibule was built on the front of the church, greatly altering both the exterior facade and the interior appearance of the church.

Even with these additions and improvements, the church was over crowded. Two Sunday morning services barely met the needs of the congregation. At the height of the baby boom, over 500 children attended Sunday School. Early in 1954, a committee was formed to survey the whole area and to make recommendations as to where new churches might be located. Halton Presbytery set up an “extension fund” to which all churches contributed for the purpose of purchasing new church sites. A student minister was hired for the summer of 1955 to work in the Suffolk Park and Maple Grove areas. As a result, St. Paul’s and Maple Grove United Churches were born, with St. John’s people providing much needed assistance.

With these newly formed churches, many members left St. John’s to go them, but there was still over crowding in the Sunday School. This led the Official Board to begin making plans for a new Christian Education building to be built on the lot next to the church. However this plan never materialized, and instead, major renovations were made to Lusk Hall in 1967, including the addition of a new back entrance and a church office.

There was much controversy in 1969 when the old manse, next door to the church, was demolished after 100 years of use by twenty-four different ministers and their families. Local papers trumpeted headlines, “Oakville: For people or for cars?” challenging the property’s conversion to a parking lot. Another headline, “Councillor fights to save two homes,” defended the preservation of the manse and the sexton’s house behind it. However, the ravages of age and dry rot forced a decision to demolish both homes.

In 1972, the 140th anniversary of the congregation’s beginning, was celebrated with an old-fashioned Revival Service on the lawn. Rev. Jim Campbell arrived by horse and buggy clothed in a costume of the early circuit rider, and many of the congregation came in period dress also, making the occasion especially memorable. The first history of St. John’s was written that year by Mr. Ernest L. Wilson, a native Oakvillian and a life-long member of St. John’s. His research and his own memories in print have become a treasure to the history buffs in the congregation. Many changes have taken place in St. John’s over the past thirty years. Members come and go, but a solid core of faithful people, some from second and third, even fourth generation families, continue to serve their church and community to this day. Ministers also come and go, each sharing their talents, leadership and spirituality, and each offering their unique contributions. The Rev. James Terry was minister for 14 years beginning in 1954. Then the Rev. Jim Campbell followed as senior minister for 26 years, by far the longest serving of any previous minister. More recently, the Rev. Jim McKnight inspired us with his warmth and enthusiasm for over six years. Three Jim’s in a row, covering a total of 46 years, made it very convenient for the annual family breakfasts held in Lusk Hall on Mother’s Day at “Jim’s Diner.”

St. John’s is much more than bricks and mortar. The people who support it are what makes it a living and loving community. Outreach has always been a priority with this congregation, but it wasn’t until 1991 that a formal Mission Statement was created which expresses what this congregation is all about. It reads:

We are St. John’s United Church, A member of God’s loving family. We are called to be a caring people, Reaching out to each other, our neighbours, and all God’s people. We are committed to nurturing our Christian faith through worship, study, fellowship and service. We are striving to exemplify the life and the love of Jesus Christ.

From the early days when boxes of warm clothes and goodies were sent to the soldiers in the two wars, to the freight cars loaded with supplies for prairie farmers, to the raising of funds through our annual Outreach Arts and Crafts Sale to help those in need both locally and around the world, to the support of a youth centre, assisting in the purchase of a Red Cross van, and supporting a parish nurse program, this congregation will continue to strive to exemplify the life and love of Jesus Christ for many generations to come. The next time you are walking in lovely down town Oakville and you hear the Carillon chimes of St. John’s, remember that they are calling you to come and join us, and to help make this a better world.

St. John’s is now in its 175th year in Oakville. This column has only touched on a few highlights of its history and its people. A new book is being written on the history of St. John’s United Church which will give much more detail about the people that have made this church and this community what it is today. If you belong to or know a family which has been a part of this church in years gone by, and who might have interesting memories or artifacts from St. John’s, please contact Joyce Stephenson, at 905-845-3649 or on e-mail at jstephenson2@cogeco.ca.

Preservation

It has long been a tradition at St John’s to preserve our history, and we continue this process week by week by collecting pictures and documents for our archives. The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, in partnership with the Ontario Heritage Trust, recently honoured the Town of Oakville with the 2009 award for Community Leadership in Heritage Conservation.

The past and present people of St. John’s have contributed to that award. It is fitting at this time to remind you that the things we consider mundane today, may one day become very valuable history. As an example, did you know that much of the history recorded about early Toronto came from the diary of Elizabeth Simcoe when her husband was the first Governor of Upper Canada between 1793 to 1796? Even more surprising is that it was not until 1910 that a Toronto historian named John Ross Robertson actually travelled to England and was allowed to read the original manuscripts and then publish a biography of Mrs. Simcoe, thus providing a definitive study of Toronto’s earliest years. Just recently, the Oakville Historical Society contacted your church archivist to advise that some records of the Alert Bible Class had been submitted to the Society. These records will soon be in our own church archives and it will be most interesting to read these records.

The Alert Bible Class for young men began between 1908 and 1911 when the Rev. J.W. Magwood was minister. We have a wonderful picture in our archives of the men with their leader, Dr. Charles Lusk. Most of the young men went off to fight in World War I, and some of then did not return. But according to newspaper reports, the class reconvened in 1920 and continued at least until 1930, having social evenings and Sunday afternoon meetings in the church gallery. How many more interesting records are stored away in closets and attics that would reveal more interesting history about our church family? Please do not discard any article about St. John’s until you check with me to see if there is already a copy in our archives. And never, never, never destroy a diary!