Bloor Street United Church - History
January 23, 1886 - Meeting of the Historic Eight. The historic group of eight, founders of Bloor Street United Church included Thomas McCraken, the Reverend Professor William MacLaren; the Rev. Dr. Gregg; Samuel Crane; R.J. Hunter; W.J. MacMaster; John Scott and George Smith. Bloor St. United Church began a recognized need to establish a Sunday School in a rapidly expanding neighbourhood of Spadina Avenue and Bloor St. At the time, this area was at the northwestern limits of Toronto. Since the horse-car did not run on Sundays, it was difficult for the families to attend Sunday services in the older churches in Toronto. The meeting of the 'historic eight' at the home of Mr. McCraken led to the recommendation to the Toronto Presbytery that a Sabbath School work be initiated near the corner of Bloor and Huron Streets.
February 5, 1886-Lot on corner Bloor and Huron purchased In anticipation of a positive response from Toronto Presbytery, the founders purchased a site with a frontage of one hundred feet on Bloor Street and one hundred and sixty feet on Huron Street for $4,500. An additional forty-eight feed on Huron Street was later acquired for $1,900.
March 2, 1886-Toronto Presbytery approves purchase of lot for Church Extension purposes at the intersection of Bloor and Huron Streets.
April 6, 1886-After consultation with the sessions of College Street, Charles Street, Centra and Erskine Churches Sabbath School services were approved.
October 24, 1886-Sabbath School and mid-week meetings started on Sussex Avenue While an appointed committee undertook to build a Sabbath School, a temporary place of worship was rented for $18 a month at 33 Sussex Avenue (now 39 Sussex Ave.)
November 1, 1886-the Rev. Dr. MacLaren, Dr. Gregg, and Messrs G.C. Robb, and D. Fotheringham were appointed to organize a regular congregation of the Church. The committee met on November 16th and again on November 23rd to organize and receive certificates of membership for sixty-seven people and admitted an additional three members by examination. The group of seventy people was organized as a congregation to be known as 'The Congregation of Bloor Street Church, Toronto.'
December 5, 1886-First church service held in connection with this movement First service conducted by the Rev. Dr. MacLaren and is his sermon was based on John 14:12, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you. He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, because I go unto my Father.'
December 6, 1886-Cornerstone of new schoolhouse laid
November 16, 1887-Congregation formally organised by Presbytery
January 17, 1887-Women's Foreign Missionary Society auxiliary organised
February 19, 1888-First elected permanent session inducted into office. First permanent session elected by the congregation included Messrs. D. Fotheringham, David Gourlay, George Crane, Robert J. Hunter, and George C. Robb. Acting moderator was Dr. MacLaren.
April 15, 1888-First services held in church building
September 4, 1888-The Rev. W.G. Wallace inducted as minister (1888-1918) 'I well remember seeing in my congregation in Georgetown on Sunday two strange gentlemen and wondering what their errand was.'
November, 1888-Women's Association organised from the earlier ladies' committee. For many years it was charged with the distribution of copies of the Presbyterian Record in the homes of the people. It was also involved with building and furnishing funds of the Church, catering social gatherings and ministering to the needy in the district.
September 4, 1889-Laying of the corner-stone of the church.
June 8, 1890-New church dedicated
1890-First home mission established in Wynchwood district of Toronto which eventually became the site of the St. Columba United Church.
1902-The Rev. Dr. James Menzies designated as our special missionary
June, 1902-General Assembly met in Bloor Street Church
1905-Men's Association formed for the purpose of social intercourse among the men of the congregation and of discussing questions of public interests from the ethical and Christian standpoint.
April, 1905-R.G. McKay appointed as first minister's assistant
April 22, 1906-Mission work started at Rhodes (formerly Reid) Avenue The mission was opened in a tent and in due time a brick building was erected. The Rev. D. Wallace Christie, just graduated from Knox College, was inducted as its first minister on September 17, 1907.
January 14, 1907-Women's Home Missionary Society auxiliary organised
1908-1927-Mr. Peter C. Kennedy was organist and choir master.
March 28, 1909-New Sunday School buildings formally opened
1909-Weekly Church Calendar first issued
May 1, 1910-W.A. Cameron inducted as assistant minister and Church Secretary
1911-Approved by a considerable majority the Basis of Union among the Methodists, Congregationalists and Presbyterians.
June, 1912-The Rev. David Lang inducted as assistant minister
1913-Mission work started as Davisville-Glebe Church About this same time as the Church participated in the Davisville-Glebe mission, it began its interest in, by the way of gifts and personal service, St. Christopher House, Toronto.
May 28, 1914-MacLaren Auxiliary (W.F.M.S.) and Robertson Auxiliary (W.H.M.S.) amalgamate into Wallace Auxiliary (W.M.S.)
1915-Approved revised Basis of Union By this time the Presbyterian Church Association had been formed, in opposition to the Church union movement.
September 10, 1915-The Rev. Dr. George C. Pidgeon inducted as colleague minister (1915-1948)
September 12, 1918-The Rev. Dr. W.G. Wallace resigns his charge
October 28, 1918-Church office established with Miss Ethel K. Ross as its first secretary
June 1,1919-First secretary of young women's work appointed, Miss Nina Millen
1919-Department of Religious Education established with the Rev. C.M. Wright as its first director
February 8, 1920-Junior Congregation and Kindergarten services started
March 17, 1920-The Rev. Dr. Menzies killed in North Honan The Rev. Dr. James Menzies already at work in North Nonan since 1895 was in 1902 designated by the board of foreign missions as the special missionary of Bloor Street. A skilful surgeon he worked in a hospital at Hwai-Ching, built by the gifts of a few friends in Bloor Street Church. On March 17, 1920 he was killed while trying to defend the compound from bandits.
May 16, 1920-Tablet containing the names of men of Bloor Street Church who died in the First World War.
June, 1923-Dr. Robert McClure designated our special missionary
1924 - Men's Association amalgamated with the Young Men's Business Club under the name of the Men's Club of Bloor Street Church.
1924-Miss Margaret Mutch became leader of Canadian Girls in Training
December 22, 1924-January 9, 1925-Congregation votes to follow its Church into The United Church of Canada The vote, 1055 to enter the United Church of Canada and 311 opposed. As a result of this vote the Church lost 240 of its members.
1927-Owing to the decision of the civic authorities to widen Bloor Street, it became necessary to make a new entrance to the Church edifice.
August 19, 1928-Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Taylor designated for service in India
September 17, 1929-The Rev. Crossley W. Krug inducted as assistant minister
May 25, 1930-The Rev. William S. Taylor designated to India
June 22, 1934-The Rev. Frank Fidler indicted an assistant minister
1936-Mrs. J.A. Jackson retired after thirty years of service to the kindergarten congregation
October,1936-Miss Lillie Carr appointed young women's worker
September 12, 1939-The Rev. Eric L. Cowall inducted as assistant minister
September 17, 1941-The Rev. Donald MacLeod inducted an assistant minister
September 5, 1945-The Rev. G. Preston MacLeod inducted as associate minister
September 10, 1945-A $5,000 gift set up the George C. Pidgeon scholarship at Emmanuel College on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of Dr. Pidgeon's induction
1947-The Rev. J. Phillips Jones appointed visiting minister
November 16, 1947-Diamond Jubilee Services
June 30, 1948-Dr. Pidgeon retired
November 19, 1948-The Rev. Dr. Ernest M. Howse inducted as minister (1948-1970) The location of Bloor Street United Church had been radically transformed. The phenomenal growth of the city had changed it from a well-to-do residential area to the heart of the city. The outlying suburb had become the hub of one of the largest cities in the continent. By the time the Rev. Howse started his ministry at Bloor Street, people were travelling to Sunday service from distant suburbs. The work of the Church changed to meet the changing demands of the community. During the period in which gang trouble was at its worst, the Church permitted the Christie Pits gang to use the Assembly Hall for Saturday night dances. New Canadian groups came through in waves. For a while Baltic groups came in large numbers, followed by Hungarians, Italians, Germans and many from Great Britain. In a few years the crowds became so great that the service had to be transferred to Massey Hall. 'We tried to make them all feel that The United Church of Canada was eager to help them become Canadian citizens no matter what their religion.'
September 16, 1949-The Rev. Kenneth Cleator inducted as associate minister
1950-Miss Ethel Ross retired after 32 years a church secretary
August 30, 1954-Church damaged by fire The Church had just finished renovations at a cost of $75,000. The Santuary was destroyed save that the walls and the structure of the gallery remained. While services and programmes were temporarily housed in neighbouring churches and Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto, the Restoration Committee set out raising funds to rebuild. By the time the new building was completed the total cost of restoration was in excess of $430,000. Fortunately the Restoration Committee was able to raise more than $160,000 to help with the cost. Rather than attempt to recreate the destroyed structure, the Committee took this opportunity to move in a bold new direction. Under the direction of Bruce Brown and Brisley, Architects, choice was made of the arcaded design as it now appears.
September, 1954-Gift of George C. Pidgeon house to church
September 10, 1954-The Rev. Walter Sellars inducted as associate minister
November 24, 1954-Congregational meeting adopts restoration plans
January 8, 1956-Re-dedication of rebuilt church
September 10, 1957-The Rev. J. Stanley Kennedy inducted as associate minister
December 20, 1959-Dedication of The Narthex Windows There are nine Panels, three groups of three, all distinctively Canadian. Each Panel represents a minister who served God and his church in a significant way. Each minister appears in a background and in an attitude suggesting the particular piece of work, which was his greatest contribution to the United Church of Canada, and to our country. The Panels commemorate Dr. Henry Wilkes (1805-1886), pastor and evangelical preacher of the first Congregational Church in Canada, Zion Congregational Church in Montreal; Dr, Hanes MacGregor (1759-1830), Presbyterian scholar and preacher; Dr. William Case (1780-1855), Methodist circuit preacher, Superintendent of Indian Missions and schools in Upper Canada, General Superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada; Dr. William T. Gunn (1867-1930), Union Chairman of the Congregational Churches at the time of Church Union in 1925; Dr. George C. Pidgeon (1872-?), minister of Bloor Street Presbyterian Church 19915-1925 and of Bloor Street United Church 1925-1948; Dr. Samuel D. Chown (1853-1933), head of the department of Evangelism and Social Service; Dr. Egerton Ryerson (1803-1882), one of the early Methodist circuit riders dedicated to training of an educated ministry; influential in obtaining for Victoria College a royal charter and was its first principal; Rev. James Evans (1801-1846), Methodist Missionary to the Indians in the West; Dr. James Robertson (1839-1902) Superintendent of Missions to the West and North-West
December 16th, 1962-75th Anniversary Celebrated with the dedication of two groups of stained glass windows. One set of windows included the two panels respectively above the East and West Narthex doors. The other set comprises the large Central window above the gallery, which with two flanking windows, is called collectively 'The Great South Window.'
1969-1986-The Rev. David Allan
1970-1975-The Rev. Bruce McLeod
1975-1986-The Rev. Clifford Elliott
1987-100th anniversary
1995-Affirming congregation
