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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHomecoming '87, 1987-07-01, Page 28PAGE A-28. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1987. Homecoming Presbyterianism began before the village did Melville Church. Brussels. Ont. The first brick building housing Melville Presbyterian Church was built in 1872, theyear the name of the village was changed from “Ainleyville” to “Brussels”. The first Presbyterian Church in the village was built in 1856. Presbyterianism has been a strong influence in the village of Brussels since 1854, the year before the area’s first white settler, William Ainley, staked out the townsite, which he named “Ainleyville”, in 1885. In the early years, occasional Presbyterian services were held in private homes, and even in bush clearings in the summer months, until the village’s first church, Knox Presbyterian, was built on an acre of land on John Street in 1856. The following year, 1857, a second church, Melville Presbyterian, was erected on the corner of Queen and Turnberry Streets, and the two congregations worked side by side until May, 1895, when they united and carried on under the name of the larger church, Melville Presby­ terian. For a few years, services in both churches were conducted by pro­ bationers or by ministerial stu­ dents on holiday from Knox College in Toronto. The first Presbyterian preacher in Ainley­ ville was student named Donald McLean, although it is not clear to which of the two churches he was attached. In 1861, or ‘62, Reverend W.C. i Young was inducted as the first minister of Knox Presbyterian Church, and served until ill health forced him to resign in 1866. During Rev. Young’s ministry, the old church was replaced by a larger one on the same site; the first elders of the congregation of the new church were Robert Taylor, William Grant and Thomas Stra­ chan. In 1867, Reverend Samual Jones was inducted into the pastoral charge of Knox church, working zealously as its minister for the next 20 years. He was replaced in 1888 by the Reverend Goshen B. Howie, a native of Palestine, who laboured for three years before returning to his native land. Rev. Howie was replaced by Reverend D. Miller, who served the congre­ gation of Knox Church until the two Presbyterian charges and amal­ gamated in 1895. Melville Presbyterian Church had no settled minister until the beginning of 1865, when Reverend John Ferguson (later Dr. Fergu­ son) of Glengarry County was inducted. Mr. Ferguson stayed for 14 years, during which time he also conducted services at both Cran- brook and Walton, in both English and Gaelic. The Melville congregation in­ creased in number and strength until, in 1872, it was decided a larger building was required, and the present site was purchased from T. McMichael for the price of $130. A Cranbrook contractor, Thomas Brown, erected the new church out of brick made by Thomas Ainley, a son of the village’s founder. It was opened in 1872, the year thatthe village’s name was changed from “Ainley­ ville” to “Brussels.” In October, 1879, the Reverend The present Melville Presbyterian Church was erected in 1914, after the older building [in photo at left] was badly damaged by a severe windstorm. The above picture, on Ioan from Rev. Vic Jamieson, shows a work crew posing on the walls of the new church in the spring of 1914. John Ross (later Dr. Ross) was ordained, comingtoBrussels to replace Rev. Ferguson at Melville Church. Dr. Ross served the Melville congregation for the next 26 years, and was the minister when the two Presbyterian church­ es in Brussels joined forces, continuing on the site of the larger church, and taking its name. At the time the churches were joined, the elders were Gilbert McCallum, James Mitchell, Hugh Forsyth, Alexander Stewart, An­ gus McKay and Duncan McLauch- lin. Mr. Mitchell led the singing for many years, and was succeeded by Daniel Stewart, who led the Church’s first choir. In 1906, Dr. Ross accepted a call to Port Dalhousie. and was replac­ ed by Reverend A.C. Wishart, who served until moving to Calgary in 1913. Reverend A.J. Mann mini­ stered tothe congregation from 1913 to 1921, and was the pastor when the church was damaged by a severe windstorm in March, 1914. At that time, the congregation decided to replace it with an even larger church, and on May 24, 1914, the cornerstone of the present church was laid by Dr. J.A. McDonald of Toronto. The first service in the new church was held on the first Sunday of April, 1915, and a new pipe organ was installed shortly after­ wards. Mr. Mann carried the congregation through the anxious years of the First World War, preaching his farewell sermon in February, 1921, before leaving for Newmarket. Reverend J.P. McLeod of Wy­ oming, Ontario, accepted a call from the Melville congregation following Mr. Mann’s departure, but left the church, with about one fifth of his congregation, in 1925, when a national vote was called to decide whether Presbyterian con­ gregations across the nation should join a church union to be named the “United Church of Canada.” The Reverend Fred G. Fowler of Waterford, Pennsylvania, took over the Melville Presbyterian congregation in 1926, serving for the next four years. Successive ministers include: Rev. William Moore (1931-1937); Rev. Samuel Kerr (1937-1945); Rev. George Milne (1945-1950); Rev. W.H.T. Fulton (1951-1954); Rev. Harold Colvin (1954-1957); Rev. J. H. Green (1958-1960); Rev. W.J. Morrison (1961-1965); Rev. C.A. McCarroll (1967-1975); and Rev. Kenneth Innes (1975-1983). Dur­ ing Rev. Innes tenure, the old slate roof, which had been in place since the church was built, had to be replaced by modern roofing after the old beams were repaired and braced. The present minister and mod­ erator of session is Reverend Vic Jamieson, who came to Brussels in 1984. The church sanctuary was repaired and re-finished in the winter of 1985, and repairs to the church tower are planned for later this summer, as is exterior paint­ ing, fund permitting. At this time, the ruling elders of Melville Presbyterian Church ar^ Jim Armstrong, Jim Bowman. Bill King, Doug Hemmingway, Sam Sweeney, Gerald Gibson, Dave McCutcheon, Ken Shortreed, Wil­ fred Shortreed, Jim Mair and Graham Work. The present mem­ bership of the church stands at 236. Rev. Jamieson is in charge of co-ordinating the Community Church Service planned for Sun­ day, July 5, as part of the Homecoming activities. The ser­ vice begins at 11 a.m. at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Com­ munity Arena, and will be followed by a pot-luck lunch for everyone. Brussels 115th Birthday We have lots of Summer Activity goods & outdoor fun & party goods on sale -sunscreen products on sale Dependable, 48 hourfast service by Western Colour Film Service Ltd. BRUSSELS Homecoming SALE custom ------------------ EVERYTHING in the store 15 to 30% Off SALE YOUNG’S Clothing & Footwear infants, children & ladies Brussels 887-9541 COLOURMAXIMUMPRICING 4” Magnum prints are standard format and will be supplied unless otherwise requested. 12 exposure ...... 15 exposure Disc 24 exposure ..... 36 exposure ..... Film Specials [every day low price] Kodak 110-12 126-12 135-12 Kodak 110-24 126-24 135-24 Disc-15 irW La $2.99 SALE $3.99 SALE SteMWtt ..4.99 ..6.99 10.49 14.49