St. James-Bond Church (Toronto)
Encyclopedia
St. James-Bond United Church, 1066 Avenue Road, Toronto
, Ontario
, was a United Church of Canada
Congregation from 1928 to 2005, when it merged with Fairlawn Heights United Church (now Fairlawn Avenue United Church) in the Yonge Street
and Lawrence Avenue
area.
Prior to the 1928 merger, these were downtown congregations of the Presbyterian
and Congregational
traditions. The St. James-Bond building was vacated on February 28, 2006. The building was torn down in the summer of 2006 and it has been reported that the site will be used for a senior's centre.
The building had been used by Elections Canada
for a polling place. In 2008, some voters were mistakenly told to vote at the church, instead of at the new polling place (Marshall McLuhan High School).
on Dundas Street, moved uptown in 1927, to a growing suburban development north of Eglinton Avenue
. The Bond Street building was acquired by a pentecostal Church, Evangel Temple. The building was destroyed by fire after Evangel Temple moved to the Hoggs Hollow area, near Yonge and York Mills
on September 19, 1981.
's St. James Square Campus, this was the third building of the Second United Presbyterian Church of Toronto. It was built in 1879, replacing a much smaller building on nearby Gould Street that had been built by architect William Hay
in 1855.
The United Presbyterian Church's
Canadian Synod
approved the division of their Toronto, Canada West Bay Street United Presbyterian Church congregation in 1853 to assist in the move of their Divinity Hall from London, Ontario
to Toronto. In 1861, the merger of the UPC to the Free Church
, saw the Divinity School merge with Knox College
, and Gould Street Church grew under the leadership of:
in 1925. Each had declined as Toronto grew, and parishioners joined congregations closer to their homes; some started by the respective congregations.
St James Square was the "parent" of College Street United Church
and St John's Presbyterian Church, Toronto.
Bond Street was the parent of Birchcliff Church in Scarborough Township
(now Birchcliff Bluffs United Church).
Bond Street was the first to move into a new area, joined by their former downtown neighbour a year later.
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...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, was a 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...
Congregation from 1928 to 2005, when it merged with Fairlawn Heights United Church (now Fairlawn Avenue United Church) in the Yonge Street
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 Lawrence Avenue
Lawrence Avenue
Lawrence Avenue is a major east-west thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is divided into east and west portions by Yonge Street, the dividing line of east-west streets in Toronto....
area.
Prior to the 1928 merger, these were downtown congregations of the Presbyterian
Presbyterian Church in Canada
The Presbyterian Church in Canada is the name of a Protestant Christian church, of presbyterian and reformed theology and polity, serving in Canada under this name since 1875, although the United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939...
and Congregational
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
traditions. The St. James-Bond building was vacated on February 28, 2006. The building was torn down in the summer of 2006 and it has been reported that the site will be used for a senior's centre.
The building had been used by Elections Canada
Elections Canada
Elections Canada is an independent, non-partisan agency reporting directly to the Parliament of Canada. Its ongoing responsibility is to ensure that Canadians can exercise their choices in federal elections and referenda through an open and impartial process...
for a polling place. In 2008, some voters were mistakenly told to vote at the church, instead of at the new polling place (Marshall McLuhan High School).
Bond Street Congregational Church
Located east of Yonge StreetYonge 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...
on Dundas Street, moved uptown in 1927, to a growing suburban development north of Eglinton Avenue
Eglinton Avenue
Eglinton Avenue, originally known as the Richview Sideroad within Etobicoke, is an east-west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Within Toronto, Eglinton Avenue is the only road which crosses through all six former boroughs...
. The Bond Street building was acquired by a pentecostal Church, Evangel Temple. The building was destroyed by fire after Evangel Temple moved to the Hoggs Hollow area, near Yonge and York Mills
York Mills
York Mills is the name of an affluent neighbourhood around Yonge Street and York Mills Road located in the district of North York in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
on September 19, 1981.
St. James Square Presbyterian Church
Located on Gerrard Street, just east of Yonge, on the present site of Ryerson UniversityRyerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
's St. James Square Campus, this was the third building of the Second United Presbyterian Church of Toronto. It was built in 1879, replacing a much smaller building on nearby Gould Street that had been built by architect William Hay
William Hay (architect)
William Hay was a Scottish architect who was actively working internationally from 1842 to 1887. A specialist in gothic architecture, he is primarily known for his work on several churches and cathedrals. His most famous structure is the Bermuda Cathedral in Hamilton, Bermuda which he designed in...
in 1855.
The United Presbyterian Church's
United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland, which in turn united with...
Canadian Synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
approved the division of their Toronto, Canada West Bay Street United Presbyterian Church congregation in 1853 to assist in the move of their Divinity Hall from London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
to Toronto. In 1861, the merger of the UPC to the Free Church
Free Church
The proper noun Free Church may refer to:Europe-wide:* Evangelical Lutheran Free Churchin Germany:* Evangelical Lutheran Free Church * Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Churchin Iceland:*Reykjavík Free Churchin Norway:...
, saw the Divinity School merge with Knox College
Knox College, University of Toronto
Knox College is a postgraduate theological college of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1844 as part of a schism movement in the Church of Scotland following the Disruption...
, and Gould Street Church grew under the leadership of:
- Professor John Taylor (1853–1861), who returned to ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
; his son, Sir Thomas Wardlaw Taylor remained in Canada, and was later Chief JusticeChief JusticeThe Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of ManitobaManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. - Rev. Robert Burns (1861–1863), a Knox College professor, formerly of Knox Free ChurchKnox Presbyterian Church (Toronto)Knox Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian church in downtown Toronto, Canada.-History:In 1820 the first Presbyterian congregation in Toronto was formed, and after the donation of land from Jessie Ketchum, built a church on Richmond Street...
, - John Mark King (1863–1883), later the Principal of Manitoba CollegeManitoba CollegeManitoba College was a college that existed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from 1871 to 1967, when it became one of the University of Winnipeg's founding colleges. It was one of the first institutions of higher learning in the city of Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba...
in WinnipegWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, - S. H. Kellogg (1885–1892), a former missionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
), who returned there, - Louis Jordan (1894–1900),
- Alfred Gandier (1901–1908), later Principal of both Knox (1909–1925) and Emmanuel College (1925–1932).
- Andrew Robertson(1910–1916),
- D. N. Morden (1917–1926).
St. James-Bond United Church
Both congregations joined the United Church of CanadaUnited 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. Each had declined as Toronto grew, and parishioners joined congregations closer to their homes; some started by the respective congregations.
St James Square was the "parent" of 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 St John's Presbyterian Church, Toronto.
Bond Street was the parent of Birchcliff Church in Scarborough Township
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
(now Birchcliff Bluffs United Church).
Bond Street was the first to move into a new area, joined by their former downtown neighbour a year later.