While the HIV/AIDS pandemic is ravaging parts of the world, the folks in the Presbytery of Lanark and Renfrew are doing what they can to help. "There is a sense of closeness and caring," said Rev. Milton Fraser, St. Andrew's, Arnprior. "In terms of the relationship within the congregations and within the community, there is a genuine concern for each other."
Some congregations have taken it upon themselves to act – like Knox, Westport, where retired minister Bruce Cossar inspired his parishioners to give to the cause. His small parish of about 65 people gave $1,047. Prior to that, a presbytery-wide event in September benefited the campaign. A music festival, featuring choirs, a quartet and a youth band raised nearly $750.
"We looked for a project to support, and we decided on the AIDS campaign, but originally, it was an opportunity for fellowship," said Mr. Fraser. "We want more opportunities to celebrate the good things!"
The presbytery encompasses the Ottawa Valley and outlying areas, and several small towns in Quebec. Six winters ago, the Ontario counties of Lanark and Renfrew were buried under an ice storm. The local communities rose to the challenge, assisting each other in any way they could. That spirit lingers on.
The Presbytery of Lanark and Renfrew, composed mainly of rural townships and bedroom towns for those commuting to Ottawa, is not unlike the Presbyterian church as a whole. Meeting the changes and challenges of the future with open arms, while remaining comfortable and relevant to existing members is a common concern. "A lot of the congregations in the presbytery are rural and some are questioning how long they can continue in the way they are now," said Mr. Fraser. He said the presbytery started looking at this issue about a year ago, and is still contemplating various models for future ministries, including sharing ministers. "And that's hard for some congregations to deal with."
St. Andrew's, Arnprior and Lochwinnoch, although not formally linked, share a ministerial relationship that began when Arnprior's long-serving (and now retired) minister, Leo Hughes, was appointed interim moderator of the small church. Rather than searching for a supply minister, Mr. Hughes simply served there himself. When Mr. Fraser took over the Arnprior post five years ago, he inherited the commitment. "It has been a really neat relationship," said Mr. Fraser. "Lochwinnoch is a very rural church and Arnprior is a small town church. They're very different kinds of ministry, but it's a good partnership."
Another challenge for the presbytery is learning to cooperate with the eight retired ministers living within its communities. Mr. Fraser's predecessor served in Arnprior for 31 years and didn't relocate upon retirement. However, things have turned out well. "It has been a positive working relationship," said Mr. Fraser. "It's helpful to have him there. The church had lots of years with him, and he knows them well."
Still, the situation can be challenging for other congregations. "The presbytery is trying to work through it, because it's not always positive," said Mr. Fraser, "but we recognize that retired ministers still have gifts to offer and some of them still want to be involved."
The Presbytery of Lanark and Renfrew was created in 1877, within the bounds of the synod of Quebec and Eastern Ontario. However, Presbyterians in the area can be traced back as early as 1816, when settlers in Perth, who were already meeting informally to share their faith, wrote to Edinburgh, Scotland, asking for a minister of their own. The following year, Rev. William Bell was sent to do the job. Two years later, First Presbyterian Church (now St. Andrew's) in Perth was born. It was the first Presbyterian congregation established away from the waterfront in Upper Canada.
During that time, First church served as monitor of moral conduct, as well as judge and jury. Those found guilty of infractions such as illegitimate births, fornication, or drunkenness were refused access to the Lord's Table until their penalty was up. The congregation's somewhat archaic history was tempered by their forward-thinking in 1975, when the issue of term service for elders (a method currently gaining in popularity, where elders ordained for life can serve on session for a limited time) was discussed and approved.
The history of the presbytery is dotted with stories of services held in homes, one-room schoolhouses, barns and inns, and of ministers from neighbouring towns hitching a ride on an open rail car to preach to those with no minister of their own. It is also marked by the generosity of congregations helping each other build new churches and rebuild after fires, sharing ministers with less-wealthy parishes, and coming to the rescue of congregations struggling to pay the mortgage during the Great Depression.
Honouring those who died in war is an important matter for the presbytery. Bristol Memorial in Shawville, Que., was built to commemorate the area's fallen soldiers. The congregation has its very own war hero in Rev. (Lt.-Col.) John Foote. Minister at Bristol in 1934, he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his heroic actions at Dieppe.
A hero of another sort has his roots in a different small town. Almonte, with a population of 4,400 that has changed little over 100 years, houses Almonte Church, born of loyal Presbyterians left with no church home after the 1925 Union. James Naismith, an ordained minister and Presbyterian of the 1800s, resided in the area. A museum and hall of fame in Almonte honours his contribution as the inventor of basketball.
Presbyterians first settled in Pembroke in 1828, and in 1850, Rev. Andrew Melville – a successor of John Knox – was called to the area. In 1928, the building of First Church, Pembroke, began. Included in its cornerstone is a copy of the Presbyterian Record.
Westminster, Smith Falls, established in 1829, was the first Presbyterian church in Canada to be designed with a chancel, lending itself to the church's great acoustics. Westminster's war memorial pipe organ is one of the largest in eastern Ontario. When the organ was refurbished in 1985, the sound of 4,000 pipes was broadcast nationally on CBC radio.
The presbytery's colourful history has hopes of being added to in the future. For despite difficulties, the opportunity for growth is present. Arnprior, situated on the edge of the amalgamated city of Ottawa, is expected to grow in the next 10 years. "The challenge is to be ready for the growth," said Mr. Fraser, "to be a welcoming church community, and to provide programs that meet their needs."
