A Glance at the Past
By John-Paul Stewart
On Saturday, July 9th, 1836 Vittoria and Bloomsburg Baptist churches called a meeting of all the area Baptist congregations to discuss establishing one in Simcoe. Brantford First Baptist, Delhi First Baptist, Boston, Port Rowan, Hartford, Scotland, and Forestville churches all sent delegates. (Sadly, many of those churches no longer exist.) At the meeting it was agreed that the following day the first worship service would be held for the new First Baptist Church in Simcoe. The council also unanimously agreed to ordain William Smith as its first minister.
Five of the initial members were from Bloomsburg Baptist: John, Permelia & Elizabeth Stage; Loving Post; and William Smith. Seven others came from the Vittoria congregation: Solomon Austin; Walter & Amanda Downs; Alonzo & Damaris Hatch; and Ephraim & Lucretia Wheeler.
The second church building stood from 1869 to 1913
Initially the congregation didn't have a building of their own. They met in members; houses, community halls, and schools. By the fall of 1837 membership had grown to the point where they began planning a church building. It was built at the corner of Young and Talbot Streets, where the current facility is located. It was also the first house of worship in Simcoe.
By 1845 there were divisions in the congregation and about 25 members left to form the Second Baptist Church of Simcoe. In 1863 the two were re-united thanks to our minister at the time, Rev. J.E. Ryerson.
In July of 1867 that first church structure was destroyed by fire and a second church was built on this site. It burned down in 1913. At that time a Sunday school facility was built and housed worship services until the current sanctuary was completed in 1922. The Sunday school portion of the building was demolished in the 1980s to make way for the current wing that contains the offices, classrooms, gym, etc.
Shirley Cookson and Rev. Bruce Coombe in the old Sunday School facility
This church's first and third ministers, William Smith (1836) and William Erith (1845), were both ordained here. Between 1864 and 1926, three other ministers were ordained at First Baptist but served elsewhere. The next ordination wasn't until 2000 with Rev. Elaine Poproski who served here at the time. Hers was the first ordination of a woman here, the only one in the last 100 years at First Baptist, and only the third to both be ordained and minister at this church.
The church's anniversary celebrations are held on the last weekend of May despite the church having started in July. Nobody seems to know why. Documents from the 125th anniversary in 1961 show it was celebrated in June. Celebrations were held in May of 1972 for the 50th anniversary of dedicating the sanctuary, which had been on the last weekend of May. Since then we seem to always have celebrated the anniversary on the last Sunday in May.
