Churchville United Church

Early Beginnings
There is good reason to believe that the earliest Methodist services in Churchville were held in 1827. Rev. John Carroll, the historian who wrote about early Methodism in this Province, speaking of his first year in the ministry, which was on the Toronto Circuit, says “the second afternoon I held a meeting at Church’s Mills” (Churchville). He further adds “we would gladly preserve a Memorial of the Gardner’s and the Hall’s… but we have no space to preserve their excellencies.”

      Very frequently in the early days the beginnings of church work in a district centered around an individual family. The Hall family may have been such a family in Churchville. The name recurs again and again in the early Church reports. 

       From an obituary notice of Asa Hall, or “Father” Hall as he was called, we learn he came to Canada about 1797. About 1805 he was converted and all reachers “ever received a hearty welcome and found a comfortable home in his hospitable dwelling.” He moved to Toronto Township in Upper Canada and settled near Churchville in 1825. From Carroll’s story and that of Rev. John Black it would seem that a service was held at Church’s Mill in Churchville every second Thursday. (It is worthy of note that descendants of Asa Hall now attend Churchville Church).

       The records indicate that the Toronto Circuit included the Townships of Toronto, Chinguacousy, Trafalgar, Esquesing, Erin and parts of York and Etobicoke. Carroll’s remuneration for four months’ labour was “$1.50 and an order on a store to secure a pattern for a pair of overalls.”

Episcopal Methodism

It has not been possible to determine just when the first church was built by the Episcopal Methodists. Certainly there was a church building in 1844 as the record shows the Wesleyans were allowed to hold their missionary meeting in it. It is possible that the political situation in the province may have had some repercussions on religious life in Churchville. Many strong supporters of William Lyon Mackenzie in Churchville and district. The Wesleyan Methodists had been warning against Mackenzie and his sponsors in England ever since Egerton Ryerson’s visit to England and the publication of his letters to the Times in 1834. That may be one of the explanations for the strength of the Episcopal cause in Churchville in the early years. Another may lie in the fact that “Father” Hall was converted under the preaching of Daniel Pickett and Pickett was one of the local preachers who returned to the work and joined in reconstituting the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1834. In any case the Episcopal Methodists were the stronger body in the early days. It seems probable that the parsonage was located in Churchville, for any communications from the ministers are written from Churchville. An excerpt from a letter of Rev. E. Bristol reporting on the missionary meetings which had been held is of interest… “If Churchville raises £10, as they expect to do, it will make Toronto Circuit the highest in the Conference.” He continues, “The Circuit has borne a heavy burden in chapel building for three years last past.”

        In 1849 the minister described a similar meeting. “Our next meeting was held in Churchville Chapel where more pains were taken in preparing and fitting up the place then any other meeting I ever attended among our people. The Chapel was well filled with people. Brother Hiram Hall took the chair.”

       Some of the families whose names occur in the Missionary Reports of the Episcopal Church, in addition to the Hall family, are Todd, Calder, Copeland, Pointer, Madden, W. Duggan, Snure, Clow, Hutton, Fogarty, Reeve, Wilson, Brown.

       We have a fairly complete list of ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church from 1840 to 1883. You will be interested to note beginning with 1864 the name of Alex Hutton who was a local preacher on this circuit for many years. His son is Mr. Fred Hutton, perhaps the most revered member of this community: for many years, he was recording steward of this circuit, also Sunday School superintendent. B.A. Hutton listed in 1867 was a nephew, who lived with Alex Hutton and became a minister - evidently, as far as we can determine, one of the two ministers to come out of Methodism in Churchville. J. Burton listed in 1878-79 was Joseph Burton, local preacher, whom some of you will remember as living back on the fourth line. In 1864 the Episcopal Methodists erected a new frame church and you are today worshiping in that same building with some additions.

Wesleyan Methodism

The early work of the Wesleyan Methodists is clouded in complete obscurity. They were holding services in Churchville in 1845 and perhaps for some years before. They built a brick church in 1856. The Dedication Services were held March 1, 1857 and the following is an extract from The Christian Guardian of March 18, 1857.

             “In the village of Churchville which lies near the center of our circuit, we
              have erected a brick church. The size of the building is 30 x 40 feet, and
              has cost $300. It was dedicated to divine worship on Sunday last by Rev.
              E. Wood, President of Conference, who preached to a large congregation
              and must, if our feelings be our criterion, have had a happy time. Rev. J.
              Dixon preached in the afternoon and Rev. J. Jones, Chairman of the
              District, in the evening. We had gracious seasons and good collections.
              Between fifty and sixty pounds were realized and only about £20 debt
              remains on the Church.”

                                                                         (Churchville, March 2, 1857)

      One of the strong workers for the Wesleyan’s was Richard Pointer and his family. Mrs. Pointer is mentioned in 1847 as a collector for the missionary cause of the Church. Fletcher Hall and Richard Pointer are the names first recorded in connection with the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Churchville. Before they were listed under Churchville, they appeared under Switser’s Branch which may indicate that until the Wesleyan cause was strongly established in Churchville, they were connected with Switser’s appointment. Some of the names appearing in connection with the Churchville Wesleyan Methodist Church were, in addition to the Pointers and Fletcher Hall, Squire, Wright, Duggan, Anderson, S. Trew (a school teacher), McCormack, McKendry, Ingram, Ezard, Irvine, Dodd, Martin, Nichol, Smith, Silverthorn, May, Brown (father of Rev. F. L. Brown, the second minister from Churchville), Ludlow, Barnhide, Simpson, Gundy.

Union of Methodism

In 1884 the three branches of Methodism united throughout Canada. It was agreed in Churchville to use the brick church built by the Wesleyans in 1856. This church remained in use until it was dismantled in 1952. In the Minutes of the Toronto Conference in 1886 we find this resolution from the Property Committee,

            “That permission be granted to the trustees of the late Methodist Episcopal Church, 

            Churchville, to sell the same, proceeds to be applied in the repairing of the brick 

            church in the same place.”

         That project was never carried out but the frame building became the Sunday School for the joint cause and is now our present church. A list of the Wesleyan Ministers from 1844 to 1883 is given in appendix B (see below).

        From out the past there comes to us a present-day church of all denominations a soul-searching word, in the following extract from Canada Christian Advocate of May 8, 1845, from some Wesleyan Methodist of Churchville.

            “The next protracted meeting we attended was held in the Methodist Episcopal Church 

            in Churchville, by the Rev. John Law, a Wesleyan Minister, in connection with the 

            Canada conference, who wished Brother Bristol and myself to assist in carrying on the 

            meeting. As both had societies in the village, both he said would be equally benefited 

            by a revival. Prejudice on both sides was to be thrown away and no minister on either 

            side was to say “will you join our church?” But all, ministers and people, were to pray 

            for the salvation of sinners. We commenced and ended our meeting  according to 

           agreement. Though there was no special revival, I think there has been no meeting upon 

           the Toronto circuit which has produced a better spirit.”

          We also show the ministers of the Methodist Church, Churchville, after Union 1884 (see below).

The United Church of Canada
In 1925 Churchville Methodist Church entered the United Church of Canada with all other Methodists, All Congregationalists and a majority of Presbyterians. A list of Ministers will be found in Appendix D (see below).

Whither now?

Our forefathers left us a godly heritage. Have we kept the faith? Surely this 129th anniversary of the beginning of the Church in Churchville calls for a humble rededication of each one of us to the end that this Church shall prevail. “THERE MUST ALWAYS BE A CHURCH IN CHURCHVILLE, IN FACT AS WELL AS NAME.” We call upon all good citizens in this community to join us in a new effort to maintain the faith of our fathers and reach out beyond the limits of our community to all of Canada “unto all the lands of the earth.” (Matt 28: 19-20)

Churchville United Church was closed permanently on June 30, 1971, and the congregation merged with Huttonville United Church, which itself closed in 2021. Churchville United Church is now perpetuated by Norval United Church. The property for the church was auctioned and purchased by the Hughes family, who built a home behind the white frame church. A large memorial cairn was dedicated to the memory of the founders, ministers and members of the church on June 18, 1972.
The dedication service was conducted by the Rev. Walter Ridley and Rev. Kenneth P. Jull, Ministers of the Huttonville-Norval Pastoral Charge.

The last Church Elders were Roger Hutton, Lloyd Golden, Jim Wilson and Allen Andrews. The final Board of Trustees consisted of Jim Wilson, George Wilson and Allen Andrews.