St. Andrew's Church (Toronto)

St. Andrew's Church

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church with the CN Tower in the background
St. Andrew's Church
Location of the church in Toronto
43°38′50″N 79°23′09″W / 43.64722°N 79.38583°W / 43.64722; -79.38583
Location 73 Simcoe Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5J 1W9
Country Canada
Denomination Presbyterian
Website standrewstoronto.org
History
Founded 1830 (1830)
Dedication St. Andrew
Architecture
Status Church
Functional status Active
Heritage designation City of Toronto heritage designation[1]
Ontario Provincial Plaque[2]
Architect(s) W. G. Storm
Style Romanesque Revival
Groundbreaking 1874
Completed February 13, 1876
Administration
Presbytery East Toronto
Synod Central, Northeastern Ontario and Bermuda
Clergy
Minister(s) Rev. William G. Ingram
Assistant Rev. Dr. Robert N. Faris
Laity
Director of music Daniel Bickle
Business manager Doug Pearson

St. Andrew's Church is a large and historic Romanesque Revival Presbyterian church in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Early history

The congregation was founded in 1830 as the first Church of Scotland congregation in the Town of York. The original church was located at the southwest corner of Church Street and Adelaide Street East, and it was built by John Ewart. After the 1843 split of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, a portion of the congregation supportive of the Free Church Movement left St. Andrew's the following summer and founded Knox Presbyterian, along with another group led by the Rev. James Harris that had been separate since 1834.

The original St Andrew's building eventually proved too small, and the church moved to its current location on the southeast corner of King and Simcoe Streets on February 13, 1876.[3] This westward move caused some controversy, and the church split over the issue. One group (62 of 403 members) continued in the old church, which became known as Old St. Andrew's. This group moved in 1878 to a new building located on nearby Jarvis Street. It continued until 1951 when Old St. Andrew's United Church joined with Westminster (formerly Yorkville Presbyterian) - Central (formerly Methodist) to become St. Andrew's United at 117 Bloor Street East. The Old St. Andrew's building was sold to another denomination and became St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The main congregation moved to the new Romanesque Revival architecture church that became known as New St. Andrew's. This building was designed by noted Toronto architect W. G. Storm and the church was the central Presbyterian church in Toronto, with an addition and renovation in 1906. It and became especially well known under the ministry of renowned orator Rev. D. J. Macdonnell (1870-1896) who pushed the church towards an active social role, and was the centre of a heresy trial in 1876, a minor bump in the recently formed Presbyterian Church in Canada. King and Simcoe became the central intersection of Toronto. The four corners popularly said to represent the four parts of society: Salvation, the church; Legislation the Lieutenant-Governor's Residence; Education, the original home of Upper Canada College; and damnation, a tavern.

The congregation was one of the most active in opposition to the union that saw the majority of Canadian Presbyterian churches join the United Church of Canada in 1925. The St. Andrew's congregation, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Stuart C. Parker voted 94% (19-733) against joining the new church. It was at St. Andrew's that representatives of the remaining Presbyterian churches from across Canada met for a "Congress", as well as the General Assembly of the Continuing Presbyterian Church in June 1925, and 73 Simcoe Street was the postal address for the anti-Church Union group, the Presbyterian Church Association.

Recent history

Later in the 20th century, the church's downtown location presented a challenge to St. Andrew's, since the area had become largely industrial and later one of the poorest in the city. Increasingly, the church patrons were living further north. There were thus many discussions of again moving the church, but each time the congregation voted to remain put.

Eventually, the revival of the downtown core in the 1970s and 1980s began with the opening of the St. Andrew Subway Station at nearby University Avenue in 1963. Further redevelopment of the area, including the addition of Roy Thomson Hall on the southwest corner of Simcoe and King Streets, transformed the neighbourhood, and the church is again prospering. After acquiring air rights from new buildings in the area, there was an extensive rebuilding at the south end, including construction of a new condominium tower in which the congregation retained the first three floors.

The congregation has taken leadership in ministry to the poor, with "Out of the Cold", coordinated by famous author Stevie Cameron, and a Boarding Homes Ministry, as well as involvement with the Presbyterian Church in Canada's Evangel Hall.

The congregation also maintains ties with its Scottish roots. In March 2005, to celebrate their 175th Anniversary as a congregation, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Dr. Alison Elliot, was involved as their Anniversary Speaker. The 48th Highlanders Regiment has a strong link with the congregation, and the regiment's museum is located in the basement of the church. The museum includes regimental uniforms, medals, photographs, weapons and other artifacts. Founded in 1959, the museum opened in its current location in 1997.

Senior ministers

The first church, at the corner of Church Street and Adelaide Street

+--died during Ministry in congregation

Assistants, associates, and deaconesses

Organists

See also

References

  1. ↑ "St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church". Ontario's Places of Worship. Ontario Heritage Trust. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  2. ↑ "St. Andrew's Church". Ontario Provincial Plaque Program. Ontario Heritage Trust. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  3. ↑ Robertson, J Ross (1894). Robertson's landmarks of Toronto. Toronto. p. 124. OCLC 16655466. OL 14017750M.
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