Westminster United Church History

History

The earliest Presbyterian Services in Weston were held in at least two private homes prior to 1847. The Rev. Joseph Harris, the first Presbyterian Minister in Toronto, would occasionally walk to Weston and with Robert MacDougall, J.P., and Captain John Pirritte, M.A., the teacher of the village school, would conduct a service in the home. Two principals of Weston schools, Mr. J.B. Logan, B.A., the Headmaster of Weston Grammar School, and the Rev. John Sommerville, M.A., the first principal of Weston High School, initiated the organizing of the Weston Free Church on September 10, 1858, 138 years ago.

The first church was built in 1865 on the present site of Weston Presbyterian Church, a gift of Mr. D. Sloan. On May 31, 1911, the congregation chose the new name, "Westminster Presbyterian Church". The cornerstone of the new Sunday School building on Main Street was laid on June 24, 1911, and the building was dedicated for Sunday School work on March 10, 1912. In 1913, all the church services were transferred to Westrninster Sunday School Building. On June 10, 1925, Westminster entered the United Church of Canada.

A movement to build a new church was initiated at the Annual Meeting of the congregation, January 16, 1946. In September, the site for the new church on William Street was purchased, and in December, 1950, plans of the new church were submitted and approved. On Sunday, February 22, 1953, The Very Reverend Dr. George C. Pidgeon (First Moderator of the United Church of Canada) dedicated and preached the opening sermon in the new sanctuary, where we continue to worship to this day.