St. Andrew's United Church
Encyclopedia
St. Andrew's United Church is an historic congregation of the United Church of Canada
in Toronto
, Canada
. Located downtown near the intersection of Yonge
and Bloor
it is a combination of five other downtown Toronto congregations. The church originated from St. Andrew's Church, founded in 1830 as the first Church of Scotland
congregation in what was then the town of York. The original St. Andrew's was located at the corner of Adelaide and Church Streets. By the 1870s it had become clear that a new church was needed. The downtown core had moved westward, and most of the congregation wanted to shift in that direction as well, but a minority staunchly opposed the idea. The congregation thus split the majority moved to a new structure at King and Simcoe in 1876 that still exists today as St. Andrew's Church
.
The smaller part of the congregation stayed in the eastern part of town and became known as "Old St. Andrew's" and this church gave rise to the current St. Andrew's United. In 1878 the Old St. Andrew's congregation built a new church at the corner Jarvis and Carlton Streets. With the formation of the United Church of Canada
in 1925 Old St. Andrew's elected to join the new union, while St. Andrew's on King remained Presbyterian.
Over the next decades the number of United Church supporters in the downtown area decreased dramatically and a number of congregations were consolidated. St. Andrew's is today the descendant of four other congregations. Westminster-Central United merged with St. Andrew's in 1950. The name was established as St. Andrew's, but the congregation left the Church Street building and moved to the location of Westminster-Central which was on Bloor near Yonge. The Church Street building was sold to two Baltic Lutheran congregations, which were then quickly increasing in number in Toronto. They kept the St. Andrew name and continue to operate as St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Church
.
Westminster-Central was the combination of three historic Toronto churches. Westminster Presbyterian was the first established on the site in 1891, it merged with Grosvenor Street Presbyterian in 1921 when the latter church's building was demolished as part of a plan to extend Bay Street
. When the United Church was formed Westminster then merged with Central Methodist Church, which was located just across the street. This created Westminster-Central, which continued until the merger with St. Andrew's in 1950. The final merger was with Yonge Street United Church in 1973, which was originally located a Yonge and Summerhill, but was destroyed by fire in May of 1971.
The Westminster building that was the home of St. Andrew's after 1950 had been built in 1923, after the original 1891 structure on the site was destroyed by fire in 1920. In the mid-1970s great debate arose in the congregation about the state of the church. It was low on funds, but sitting on some of the most expensive real estate in Canada. After considerable discussion it was decided to demolish the old church, build an office tower above, and relocate the congregation to the lower level of the new complex. This was done in 1981. A portion of the old church was retained by the city of Toronto, it is now located further south on Yonge Street marking the entrance to McGill Street. Several other United Churches chose the same path in this period such as College Street United Church
and Parkdale United Church.
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Located downtown near the intersection of Yonge
Yonge Street
Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...
and Bloor
Bloor Street
Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
it is a combination of five other downtown Toronto congregations. The church originated from St. Andrew's Church, founded in 1830 as the first Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
congregation in what was then the town of York. The original St. Andrew's was located at the corner of Adelaide and Church Streets. By the 1870s it had become clear that a new church was needed. The downtown core had moved westward, and most of the congregation wanted to shift in that direction as well, but a minority staunchly opposed the idea. The congregation thus split the majority moved to a new structure at King and Simcoe in 1876 that still exists today as St. Andrew's Church
St. Andrew's Church (Toronto)
St. Andrew's Church, 73 Simcoe Street, Toronto is a large and historic Romanesque Revival Presbyterian church in downtown Toronto, Canada.-History:...
.
The smaller part of the congregation stayed in the eastern part of town and became known as "Old St. Andrew's" and this church gave rise to the current St. Andrew's United. In 1878 the Old St. Andrew's congregation built a new church at the corner Jarvis and Carlton Streets. With the formation of the United Church of Canada
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
in 1925 Old St. Andrew's elected to join the new union, while St. Andrew's on King remained Presbyterian.
Over the next decades the number of United Church supporters in the downtown area decreased dramatically and a number of congregations were consolidated. St. Andrew's is today the descendant of four other congregations. Westminster-Central United merged with St. Andrew's in 1950. The name was established as St. Andrew's, but the congregation left the Church Street building and moved to the location of Westminster-Central which was on Bloor near Yonge. The Church Street building was sold to two Baltic Lutheran congregations, which were then quickly increasing in number in Toronto. They kept the St. Andrew name and continue to operate as St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Church
St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Toronto)
St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Church is an Evangelical Lutheran church in downtown Toronto serving the Latvian and Estonian population of Toronto. It is home to two congregations: St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Estonian and St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Latvian.The church was originally...
.
Westminster-Central was the combination of three historic Toronto churches. Westminster Presbyterian was the first established on the site in 1891, it merged with Grosvenor Street Presbyterian in 1921 when the latter church's building was demolished as part of a plan to extend Bay Street
Bay Street
Bay Street, originally known as Bear Street, is a major thoroughfare in Downtown Toronto. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District and is often used by metonymy to refer to Canada's financial industry since succeeding Montreal's St. James Street in that role in the 1970s...
. When the United Church was formed Westminster then merged with Central Methodist Church, which was located just across the street. This created Westminster-Central, which continued until the merger with St. Andrew's in 1950. The final merger was with Yonge Street United Church in 1973, which was originally located a Yonge and Summerhill, but was destroyed by fire in May of 1971.
The Westminster building that was the home of St. Andrew's after 1950 had been built in 1923, after the original 1891 structure on the site was destroyed by fire in 1920. In the mid-1970s great debate arose in the congregation about the state of the church. It was low on funds, but sitting on some of the most expensive real estate in Canada. After considerable discussion it was decided to demolish the old church, build an office tower above, and relocate the congregation to the lower level of the new complex. This was done in 1981. A portion of the old church was retained by the city of Toronto, it is now located further south on Yonge Street marking the entrance to McGill Street. Several other United Churches chose the same path in this period such as College Street United Church
College Street United Church
College Street United Church is a United Church of Canada church at the corner of College and Bathurst Streets in Toronto, Canada. The large church was built in 1885 as College Street Presbyterian and could hold 1200 worshippers, under founding minister Alexander Gilray , and Robert Balmer Cochrane...
and Parkdale United Church.