First Baptist Church (Ottawa)

First Baptist Church is a prominent Baptist church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec union.

First Baptist Church (Ottawa)
First Baptist Church in Downtown Ottawa
Location140 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5J4
DenominationBaptist
Websitewww.firstbaptistottawa.ca
Administration
DivisionCanadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec
Clergy
Minister(s)Rev. Dr. Scott Kindred-Barnes

History

The church was first founded in 1857, the first Baptist congregation in Ottawa. The current church, prominently located at 140 Laurier Avenue West, at the corner of Elgin Street and Laurier Avenue West in Downtown Ottawa, was designed by architect James Mather and constructed 1877-8.[1]

The cornerstone was laid by then Prime Minister, Alexander Mackenzie. As a Baptist, Mackenzie worshiped at the church when he was in Ottawa after services began in 1878.

The First Baptist Church Ottawa erected memorial plaques which are dedicated to the members of the Congregation who served and to those who gave their lives during the Great War.[2][3]

The church was expanded in 1916, and significantly renovated in 1928.

The First Baptist Church Ottawa erected a memorial plaque which is dedicated to the members of the Congregation who gave their lives and those who served during the Second World War (1939-1945).[4]

In 1966-1967, to celebrate Canada's Centennial, a massive organ was installed. From 1999 to 2002, significant restoration work was undertaken.

The congregation has remained in the downtown area, and over the years, supported the establishment of new congregations, including McPhail Memorial Baptist Church (1896), Fourth Avenue Baptist Church in The Glebe (1899), and more recently, Kanata Baptist Church and Bilberry Creek Baptist Church in Orleans.

See also

References
  1. James Mather (Free Press [Ottawa], 25 July 1877, 4, descrip.; Daily Citizen [Ottawa], 4 March 1878, 1, descrip.; Canadian Illustrated News, xviii, 9 Nov. 1878, 290-91, 300, illus. & descrip.)
  2. "First World War memorial (served): First Baptist Church, Ottawa: Memorial 35059-155 Ottawa, ON". National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials. Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  3. "First World War memorial (fallen): First Baptist Church, Ottawa: Memorial 35059-154 Ottawa, ON". National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials. Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  4. "Second World War memorial: First Baptist Church, Ottawa: Memorial 35059-114 Ottawa, ON". National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials. Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  • Ottawa: a guide to heritage structures City of Ottawa, Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee; managing editor, Lucy Corbin. 2001
  • Harold D. Kalman Exploring Ottawa: an architectural guide to the nation's capital University of Toronto Press, 1983

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