John Sayers
Special to The Lake Report
The Grace United Church congregation is recognizing its 200th anniversary this year and celebrations are already well underway.
Some are clearly evident and others less so as the anniversary committee led by Bill Leighfield begins to work its organizational magic.
Among the less-evident efforts is a major project to digitize the thousands of church archives which go back well into the 1800s and include congregation lists that disclose “coloured” members as free men in the congregation.
The objective is to preserve the primary source material of 200 years of history and make it accessible to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum and future church and social history scholars.
Done entirely on a volunteer basis, the records and images are being scanned at high resolution and may take the rest of the year to complete.
Starting off quietly with an old-fashioned Pie Social to launch the year, the congregation recently held a catered dinner, unusual because none of the usual phalanx of volunteers had any role in preparing or serving the dinner.
As the organizers said, in a church known for its “worker bees” it was a time when everyone in the congregation should sit back and reflect rather than some of them having to focus on preparing and plating food.
An early Communion plate has been pulled out of its hiding place, polished diligently, and placed on display in the church as another reminder of our past.
And the congregation is being honoured in September by a visit and service by the moderator of the United Church of Canada, Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, our most senior elected spiritual leader.
As well, the former moderator, Rev. Dr. Richard Bott, will lead a service on Nov. 19, the exact date of the 200th anniversary. The current minister, Maureen Ellison, like everyone in the congregation, is honoured and thrilled by the recognition in these visits.
Why the fuss? Well, like other churches in town, the Grace United congregation and its church edifice have a long and fascinating history.
The building was designed by William Thomas, the same prominent architect who created St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto, St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Hamilton and Brock’s Monument in Queenston.
The magnificent stained-glass windows memorialize the church’s early members and casualties in wartime, and the interior reflects the classic Methodist form of practical design.
This is a far cry from the first simple frame building built as a Meeting House at Gage and Gate streets. It is no longer there, but is survived by the Grace United Cemetery at the same location.
We at Grace United have our proverbial seat belts fastened as we continue to rocket into our 200th anniversary year.
