Centreville Presbyterian Church

Centreville Presbyterian Church (South Monaghan, Ontario) was established in 1833. The first minister, the Rev. James Douglas(s) (June 11, 1792-April 30, 1870), was inducted in 1834, a native of Monaghan, in Ireland, who came from a congregation in Lisbon, Pennsylvania. A frame church was built in 1852, and a new brick church building was constructed in 1863. The congregation remained with the Presbyterian Church in Canada during the time of Church Union in 1925.[1]

Church rear view
Centreville Presbyterian Church
Church front view Centreville Presbyterian Church
DenominationPresbyterian
Administration
ParishOntario
DiocesePresbyterian Diocese of Ontario
ProvinceCanada

A noteworthy feature of this church is its cemetery, still sheltering the gravestones of many of the original settlers of the area.

In 1931, a ceremony of remembrance was held to dedicate a new stained glass window honouring these old pioneers of Millbrook and Centreville, especially John Deyell and his wife Margaret, who contributed the land the church stands on. The window has four panels, the first panel showing a traveller on horseback, with saddle-bags and rifle, and in the background oxen, and a log cabin home; its counterpart in the fourth section, depicts the early settler sowing grain by hand; and in the richly coloured centre panels the figures of an apostle and an angel, while inset are farm implements and animals of pioneer days; household articles such as a lighted candle; hints at the original peoples symbolized by the feathered headdress and wigwam; the covered wagon; the ripened grain loaded for carriage to the barn; the church; the schoolhouse; the hourglass; and the fruits of the harvest.[2]

In 2005, the Reverend Nicolaas Mulder, then minister of St. Giles Presbyterian Church in nearby Peterborough, Ontario, added this congregation to his ministry. Mulder left Peterborough for St Andrew's Church in Trenton, Ontario, in early 2007, and after a vacancy of over a year, Rev. Tom Cunningham of Barrie, Ontario, was called and inducted to the St. Giles and Centreville Pastoral Charge on July 27, 2008. Services continue to be held on Sundays at 9:15 a.m. (Church Service, School & Nursery). In June 2008, the congregation celebrated 175 years of Presbyterian witness with Professor Stuart Macdonald of Knox College, University of Toronto, and a former minister, as guest speaker.

Notes
  1. The Presbyterian Church in Canada (2003-06-24). "Description of the Centreville Presbyterian Church (South Monaghan, Ont.) fonds". Archeion. Archives Association of Ontario. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  2. "Memorial window is dedicated to John Deyell and his wife, the pioneer family of Cavan". Ontario Genealogy. Retrieved 2006-12-11.

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