130 years at Snow Road Presbyterian church

Julie Druker | Jun 11, 2015

Rev. Karen Hincke led the 130th Anniversary service of the Snow Road Presbyterian Church on June 7 and spoke to a capacity crowd. The service included special musical guests, the Abrams Family, with Wayne, Mary and their son Brian Abrams performing their top notch brand of musical ministry, which delighted the congregation.

Rev. Hincke made many references to family histories in the service, first in her conversation with the children where she spoke of her own personal history with the church and specifically of her great grandfather, a Methodist circuit rider who rode a horse in South-western Ontario, preaching to a number of different communities there. Regarding the Snow Road church's 130th anniversary, Hincke said, “As a church we are born and are identified by our history... and the meaning of that history will be determined by the future, and by where our history is leading us.” In her sermon, the theme of genealogy continued and Hincke said that the purpose of the anniversary “is to look back at the130 years of this congregation’s life, which will give us courage and hope for the decades to come.”

She chose to read the opening 17 verses from the Gospel of Matthew, which are seldom read at a worship service. They speak of the genealogy of Jesus Christ and the 42 generations that led to his birth. She cited the reading as “a genealogy that is the proper beginning of the story of Jesus for two main purposes, since first, it tells the reader who Jesus was and how he fits both into the history of the Jews and the Christian church” and secondly she said that it “shows Matthew's readers at that time, the beginning of their own history.”

The history of the Snow Road church has been celebrated and chronicled in a publication titled “The First Hundred Years - Snow Road Presbyterian Church”, which was put together by Max Millar, Hilda Geddes and Don St. Pierre in celebration of the church's 100-year anniversary in 1985.

I have included here some highlights from that publication here.

The church was built in 1885 at the cost of $1600 by Mr. Snowden, a contractor and builder, on a lot donated by Mrs. James (“Granny”) Millar. The church was opened and dedicated on November 28, 1885. Prior to its construction services were held in a no longer existing schoolhouse in the village. John Allan, who moved to Snow Road from the Perth area, is the individual credited with instigating the building of the church and was its first elder. He also organized its first Sunday school. A year after its construction, the churches of McDonalds Corners and Elphin were transferred to the Kingston Presbytery since the new church was a member and the three remained in the Kingston Presbytery until 1927, when they became a part of the Presbytery of Lanark and Renfrew.

Rev. Alexander McAuley was the church's first minister. The church organ that was played at Sunday's service by organist Lynda Russell was purchased in 1936, replacing an older hand pump organ and in 1968 it was electrified. The church was originally heated by a single box stove, and a second stove was later added. They were replaced first by one and then a second wood-burning furnace, which were installed in the church’s basement. Because the heating system proved insufficient, in 1968 the family of John A. and Blanche Geddes (Hilda, Ralph, Katharine, Eileen and Jim) paid to install electric heating, which was dedicated in memory of their parents. The church was originally lit with kerosene lamps, which were replaced in 1934 by gas lamps. These in turn were replaced by electric lights in 1938.

Many additions occurred at the church over the years. In 1952 an entrance over the basement door was built and in 1956 a vestry was built at the front of the building. New windows were installed in 1962 and in 1967 a privy was built outside at the rear of the church. It has just recently been updated. In 1975 new front windows were acquired and a green steel roof was purchased and installed. In 1980 a sound system was installed.

Over the years numerous gifts were donated to the church, allowing for the purchase of building and other materials. When the church congregation celebrated their 100-year anniversary in 1985, the building was repainted inside and out for the celebrations, which were led by Reverend Linda Bell and took place there on August 4, 1985.

Rev. Hincke concluded the service by saying that this anniversary was an important opportunity for congregants to look both to the past and to the future. “During this anniversary celebration we look to our history...remembering who we are and where we have been as we look to the future remembering what we have been put here to do and where we are going.”

Upcoming will be the 169th anniversary celebration and service at the Elphin Presbyterian Church on Sunday, June 28 at 11 a.m. and on Sunday July 19 the Knox Presbyterian Church in McDonalds Corners will be holding a special 170th celebration and service at 11 a.m.