The McPhail Memorial Baptist Church. Corner of Lisgar and Concession Streets. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 1893
4/22/2021 06:00:00 AMThe McPhail Memorial Baptist Church was founded in 1888 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. By 1893 a larger meetinghouse was needed and this little booklet was issued to make known intention and to solicit co-operation from others for the process. Transcription of the booklet below the photographs.
Ottawa, June, 1893.
In August, 1888, the Second Baptist Church in this city was organized with a membership of twenty-four, all of whom received letters of dismissal from the first church, and since that time, through the kindness and generosity of the parent, this off-spring has worshipped in the little Sunday School Hall on Concession street; but experience soon brought the conviction that in order to do progressive and satisfactory work, a larger and better situated building must be secured. Impressed with this fact, and realizing the needs of the community, we ventured, about two years ago, to borrow the money and purchased, at a cost of $2,000.00, a beautiful site at the corner of Lisgar and Concession streets, and, thanks to kind friends, the land is now clear of debt.
The present attendance at Sunday School and preaching services exceeds the capacity of the meeting place, and we are compelled to provide more commodious premises.
Plans have been prepared of a near and substantial brick building 72x44 feet, with auditorium capable of comfortably seating four hundred people; also well lighted basement for Sunday School purposes, and other necessary apartments. All to cost about $6,000.00, and to be known as the McPhail Memorial Church.
In choosing this name we were actuated by a desire to do honor to a departed brother whose consecrated life and unselfish interest in the eternal well-being of his fellowmen entitles him to more than ordinary recognition, and we are satisfied that this way of expressing our appreciation of his work will commend itself to the Christian public of this locality at least.
Ottawa being Mr. McPhail's last pastorate, the centre of the extensive portion of country over which he travelled and preached, and the place where he and his devoted wife died and are buried, it seems the most fitting place to erect this monument for the purpose of perpetuating his cherished memory.
The Rev. Daniel McPhail was a man of no ordinary character. Steadfast in principle, fervent in spirit, always abounding in the work of the Lord; and so Christlike in his practice of going about doing good that God honored him by a continued in-gathering of precious fruit. "Scarcely another man in the Canadian Baptist Ministry, Dr. Fyfe alone excepted, did the work which he accomplished." "Besides the thousands brought to Christ by his own personal ministry," he has multiplied himself in the lives and labors of such men as A. A. Cameron, (Mr. McPhail's successor in Ottawa) John McLaurin, the devoted and successful missionary to India; Alexander McDonald, pioneer Baptist Missionary to Manitoba, and founder of the first Baptist Church in Winnipeg; John Dempsey, Charles Brierly, D. P. McPherson, Malcolm McGregor and his brother, the late Principal McGregor, besides many others who have done good service in the Master's cause.
The name McPhail is, and ever will be, precious to those who profited by his earnest ministrations. Such need no reminder of his worth. Death itself can scarcely quench their love for him. But the rising generation of Baptists needs a perpetuation of the spirit of this "Elijah of the Ottawa Valley." For their sake as well as for the sake of one so deserving of perpetual remembrance, we have decided on our present course of action, and believing that a large majority of the Baptists of Quebec and Eastern Ontario, and especially in the Ottawa Valley where Mr. McPhail was best known, would like to have a share in this building, we issue this pamphlet for the purpose of making known our intention and soliciting co-operation.
Contribution to the funds will be thankfully received and acknowledged by the pastor, Rev. A. N. Frith, or either of the undersigned on behalf of the Trustees.
N. LINK, Treasurer
D. H. HUDSON, Secretary
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