170 Years of Melville Presbyterian Church in Brussels

The magnificent edifice that is Melville Presbyterian Church is a testament to the faith of us

forebears.

The pressed red brick church, with carillon tower, arched entrance way occupying the northeast corner of Dunedin Drive and Princess Street still serves the devout in the northern end of the county. In the 21st century, Melville Church is still active ministering to the needs of the faithful.

Melville Presbyterian Church is the union of two Presbyterian Church. Knox church congregation built the first frame church in Brussels on John Street in 1864.

One of the more exotic of their early preachers who served Knox Church from 1888-1891, was Rev. Goshen Howie, who hailed from Syria.

As early as 1854, the Melville congregation met in bush lots and homes before a small church was built on Queen and Turnberry streets in 1857.

In both cases, the churches relied on church elders and itinerant preachers to deliver the services. It was not until 1865, that Melville church received Rev John Ferguson who delivered service at Melville, Cranbrook and Walton congregations in both Gaelic and English.

The two respective congregations appeared to thrive, each erecting new church buildings. In

1872, the Melville congregation purchased the present corner and erected a pressed red brick Gothic style church.

By 1895, both Presbyterian congregations under Rev John Ross realized their spiritual journey lay in uniting the two congregations so that they might add “unto the church those that might be saved.” There were no doctrinal differences too great to prevent the Knox and Melville congregations uniting forced so that they might add “unto the church those that might be saved” according to a 1955 history of the church.

Indeed, the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society had already joined forces in 1884. In 1891, the Young Peoples’ Society of both churches was organized.

In 1913, the church, with a growing membership of about 500 active members, had outgrown the 1872 church.

Under the dynamic leadership of Rev A J Mann and local entrepreneur and elder, John Leckie, the church that had served the Presbyterian congregation held its last service in March 1914.

Workmen lost no time in razing the old church and in true frugal Presbyterian fashion, the hauled off and sold the timber, brick and horse sheds.

Work immediately began on the new building while the congregation met in the town hall until

construction was completed.

In May 1914, a time capsule filled with church documents, coins, postage stamps were laid in a granite cornerstone with Melville Church 1864-1914 carved in it.

In 2014 according to long time church member, Bill King, the capsule was only opened in 2014. The Brussels Post reported in July 1914 that “as the work advances evidence point to an extra fine edifice that will be a credit to the town and its congregation.”

Tragically, one mason was killed in a scaffolding accident but on April 4, 1915, the imposing edifice held its dedication service.

At its opening ceremony, the Post admiringly described the new Melville Church as an “imposing edifice” which was “constructed of red pressed brick, with stone trimmings and stands on a fine stone foundation” with a building perimeter 98x64 feet and an 18’ high tower at the southeast corner, gave the building its imposing appearance.

The interior was well lit with 11 large globe electric lights and tall and wide windows to let in natural light, the new church nave was a light, airy space that between the balcony and floor pews could seat 800 people.

As the Presbyterians had long since done away with pew auctions, the church had broad appeal at evidenced by the ‘mammoth gathering’ who attended the church opening. A new furnace system and a $1,250 pipe organ paid for by Rev Mann made the $25,700 Melville Church the most modern church in the area.

The church opened during the Great War. A Roll of Honour records the name of 27 adherents who served in the armed forces.

A bronze tablet unveiled in 1921 records the names of 10 who gave their lives for humanity in the Great War.

A second bronze tablet was placed on the wall in 1949 to honour four more church members who made the Supreme Sacrifice.

The Melville Ladies’ Aid raised money and put together aid packages for the troops in both wars. On Armistice Day 1918 when the news broke that the war was over, Melville Church held a widely attended service of Thanksgiving and remembrance at 2 p.m. at the church.

It was the first church service in Brussels in over three weeks as all public buildings were closed due to the Spanish Influenza.

The Melville congregation firmly rejected union with the Methodist church in the 1925 vote that created the United Church of Canada.

The rejection was overwhelming with only 60 out of 397 members voting to unite. The rejection of unification may slightly hurt their numbers with fewer than 300 church members recorded in 1929, but the active work of the church continued with the Women’s Mission and Young People’s Society’s still thriving in the life of the church and greater Brussels community.

The post-war years, however, across Canada saw a slow and steady decline in church membership and it seems that Melville Church, albeit at a slower rate, also suffered a decline in membership.

Yet, the church relies on the dedication of its clergy and volunteers. Long time church member, Bill King, played in the Melville Sunday School Orchestra as a teenager and still is a dedicated member proud of Melville's distinguished history.

His mother, Joanne King, holds the record as organist for 27 years from 1973 to 2000. In 1988, the Melville pulpit was occupied by a woman for the first time as Rev Carolyn McCray for the next 6 years. In the early 2010s, Elwin Garwood, a Mennonite minister, occupied the pulpit for years.

Well into the Melville Congregation's third century, the church continues to adapt to the spiritual and temporal needs of the community.

The church is now accessible, has a day care and hosts community lunches with the help of volunteers from other denominations.

Through 170 years of good and bad harvests, war, depression, pestilence and moments of national celebration, Melville Presbyterian Church remains at the centre of the town's spiritual and social life. May it continue for many more decades.