HomeMy WebLinkAbout450"Article copied from the Pickering News, Friday November 1, 1946. page 1.
Green River Baptist Church To Celebrate 103rd Anniversary
By Rev. A. J. Heal)
On Sunday, November 3rd, Green River Baptist Church will observe its 103rd
Anniversary with services at 2.30 p. m. and 7.30 p. m.
In the same year which witnessed British incidents such, as the raising of 100 hundred
thousand pounds for the Anti-Corn Law league; the opening of the Thames tunnel for foot
passengers; and the appointment of Wordsworth as poet laureate; or three years after
the marriage of Queen Victoria to Prince Albert; and one year after the union of the two
provinces of Canada was proclaimed by the governor, Lord Sydenham, Green River
Baptist Church was organized with Thomas Gostick as its Pastor. The Gospel message
was first proclaimed in January of 1843 and has been the continuing message of this
church to the present day.
In 1847 while services were held in Isaac Turner's barn a number of Baptist people
brought their church letters from New Brunswick and joined the new church,
with the result that it was named Brunswick Hill Baptist Church. In May 1848 the first
Chapel was opened under the leadership of Elder Davidson, with a healthy membership
of 81. The record books tell of the arrival of Mr. B. Doten from New Brunswick in 1855.
In 1858 Thos. Pugh, Sister Pugh and Chas. Major were received into membership.
Mr. Sanford Doten was baptised in 1868. The record books show that in 1870
Brunswick Hill Church shared their pastor Elder J. B. Moore for the first time with
Majorville Church (now Whitevale Baptist Church).
In 1879 the Church had an assistant pastor to aid in the services of Majorville,
Pickering, Markham and Stouffville Churches which were thus given the help of the
well-established work at Brunswick Hill. In 1887 Pastor W. M. Freed first held services
in the old Green River Hill hall and in November 1888 the Chapel building was moved
from Brunswick Hill to Green River. The Ladies' Circle is first mentioned in 1884 when
Pastor M. S. Siple was the minister. Since that time thirteen ministers have served the
two churches in Green River and Whitevale up until 1944 when the present pastor,
Rev. A. J. Heal, came to take charge of the work.
For some years past this dual field was forced by adverse circumstances to accept a
special grant from the Baptist Home Mission Bd. in order to maintain its testimony.
But Green River. Church this year rejoices in the fact that through new interest and a
resulting new financial impetus it has been possible for her, in conjunction with the new
work at First Baptist Church, Whitevale, to become self-supporting once again.
The present members of Green River Church feel honored in being the custodians of
such a rich heritage of leadership and usefulness in the interests of the Kingdom of
God in this community and on the Mission Fields of the world.
In these days of confusion when the world is seeking some satisfactory basis for
peace and fellowship between labor and capital within nations,
this church feels privileged to carry its share of the responsibility for offering an
answer to current unrest by maintaining and preaching the glorious message of the
Gospel of God's redeeming grace. This message has not been donned by time,
but the experience of passing years has rather confirmed it as the answer to man's
deepest needs.
A warm invitation is extended to all who love the Gospel to gather with us next
Sunday at 2.30 and 7.30 p. m. when Rev. S. L. Boehmer of Calvary Church,
Toronto will be ministering to us.
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