ST. JOHN'S

FRIEND, YOU ENTERED HERE NOT AS A STRANGER, BUT AS A FRIEND OF GOD

St. John‟s Anglican Church in Stewarttown has come a long way since its establishment in 1834. This year the people of St. John‟s are excited about celebrating 185 years of „presence and ministry‟ in the Stewarttown community! On May 5, 1819, the early Anglican settlers opened a cemetery on land donated by James Randall (Deed registered Apr. 10, 1833). At that time, Anglicans were few and people met in homes and were visited by missionary priests, who travelled when weather permitted. One of the first homes where services were held was that of George Thompson. By January 1834, the Anglican settlers in Stewarttown had collected approximately 80 pounds of sterling to begin building a church. St. John‟s was probably one of the first Anglican parishes established in Upper Canada. The settlers had decided to build their church on the hill beside the cemetery (on the east side of Trafalgar Road, north of the 15 Side Road). Concern was expressed about selecting such an elevated location. Apparently the framework for the church was erected but never completed. In 1849, a second donation of land (1/5 acre south of cemetery) was made by Wm. Morrison. There is mention in a letter by Archbishop Strachan in March 1852 about the members of the Church in Stewarttown needing encouragement to enable them to complete their church “as to render it fit for public worship.” Unfortunately early church records were destroyed in a fire in 1908, so we may never know if there was a building completed for worship at that time.

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In 1834 Rev. Adam Elliot became the first missionary priest assigned to St. John‟s. In a journal entry, dated January 1834, Rev. Elliot writes, “On Sunday the 19th I performed divine service and preached twice at the house of Mr. Thompson, to a very numerous and attentive assemblage of people. Five children were baptized and 27 persons received the Sacrament of the Lord‟s Supper.” Missionary priests brought Bibles, Prayer Books and other religious publications (published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge) to the destitute settlers. Lay people carried out worship services using the Prayer Books in the absence of clergy. The first confirmation ceremony for area settlers was not held until July 25, 1846 when Archbishop Strachan travelled from York (modern day Toronto) to perform the ceremony at St. Stephen‟s Anglican Church in Hornby. It may be that there was no actual church building in Stewarttown until 1880 when the Anglicans (known then as Episcopalians) purchased the Wesleyan Methodist Church. A chancel and vestry were added and the church was open for worship in 1883. In June 1884, Bishop Thomas Brock Fuller, the first Bishop of the newly formed Niagara diocese, consecrated the church.

In 1897 St. John‟s partnered with St. Stephen‟s in Hornby and in 1903, the amalgamation expanded to include St. Paul‟s, Norval. Up until 1908, clergy serving these parishes had to find their own living accommodations. In 1908 the McGuire home on the 15th Side Road in Stewarttown (across from the present St. John‟s) was purchased as the first rectory and Rev. S. Clewes Noxon moved in. In 1919 the Stewarttown rectory was sold and another rectory was purchased in Norval in 1922. The Norval rectory was sold in 1961 and a new rectory was built beside St. Stephen‟s church in Hornby. (All these homes still remain). In 1961 a new partnership was formed between St. John‟s and St. Stephen‟s and that partnership continued until May 2008.

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More information about St. John's Church you will find here: THE HISTORY