History

Church History

A Brief History of the Newcastle United Baptist Church
by,
Harvey R. Urquhart

It was during a difficult period in Miramichi history that the Baptist Church was established in Newcastle. The Baptist influence in the area had been present long before a church was organized, but meetings had been held mainly along the Northwest Miramichi at South Esk and Whitneyville. A church was formally founded at Whitney in 1819 and a branch developed at Sillikers in 1845. The Newcastle church was almost an offspring of the North Esk churches since many of the earliest members were former residents of North and South Esk parishes.

It was the early custom in this province for missionaries to be sent to more remote areas by the New Brunswick Baptist Home Mission Society to propagate the gospel. Accordingly, in 1853, such was the case and Elder Benjamin Scott arrived on the Miramichi. It was through his teachings and encouragement that a church was established here. The first entry in the record book of the Baptist Church, Newcastle Miramichi, N. B. is written as follows:

"On the 28th July 1853 Elder Benjamin Scott arrived as a missionary under an appointment of the N. B. Baptist Home Mission Society. After visiting some of the neighboring towns and settlements he fixed upon Newcastle as being the most central place for the Miramichi field of missionary operations.
The place, as to Baptist interest, was new but the people generally speaking were kind and attentive. The Mechanics Institute was rented to hold meetings in on Sabbaths and Tuesdays. The congregation though small at first continued to increase and become more interesting.

Mechanics Institute

An effort was now made to build a Baptist Chapel. The people responded to the application and soon upwards of one hundred and thirty-five pounds were subscribed for the project.

Meanwhile August 23rd Elder B. Scott assisted by Elder D. McPhail organized a small church of six members, namely - Bro. John H. Harding, Perry W. Gremley and Elder B. Scott, Sisters Mary Harding and Patten.
A site to build the Chapel on was selected and conveyed to Trustees for the use of the church. A plan having been furnished by Elder Scott and a building committee chosen, the work immediately commenced; and ere the winter had closed in the stone foundation was completed, the frame raised, rough boarded, and the roof shingled of the house which was 33 x 48 ground floor and 16 foot post with cove ceiling. The whole costing according to Bro. Gremleys - the treasurers account 121.3s.7d.

The first United Baptist Church building in Newcastle was constructed in 1853.

Elder Scotts ministry lasted until 1856 at which time there were about fifteen church members. It would seem that the church was to be without a full-time pastor for the next seven years. There is no reference in the church registry as to occurrences from 1856 to 1863. However, in a book entitled Autobiography and Revival Reminiscences written by Rev. Isaiah Wallace, A.M., Mr. Wallace refers to spending two years in Newcastle between 1855 and 1860 as follows:

"... I accepted the appointment of the New Brunswick Baptist Home Mission Society to do work in the County of Northumberland. I made the town of Newcastle my headquarters and extended my labors to North Esk, Little South West and Black River. During the two years spent on the Newcastle field much success accompanied our efforts. Revivals were enjoyed in all the out stations in which many were turned to the Lord."

Despite the optimistic note of Rev. Wallaces text, the Newcastle church membership had diminished to two by 1863 when in late November Elder Hickson proceeded to hold a meeting "with a view to resuscitate the church." The two remaining members were William Gremley and Mary Bishop.

It is interesting to note from the book Old North Esk on the Miramichi by W. D. Hamilton that William Gremley had been a resident of Whitney and was baptized in the Baptist Church there before moving to Newcastle. He had also been granted a license to preach in the North West Baptist Church in 1829, the subject of much controversy in the Newcastle church, which eventually led to Mr. Gremley withdrawing his membership. However, he was reinstated and a license to preach was finally granted by the Newcastle church as well.

It would seem that Elder Hickson was an able servant of the Lord as the work in Newcastle grew immensely under his leadership. In 1864 Rev. T. F. Powers conducted special services and by 1866 there were sixty-nine members on the church roll. Mr. Hicksons report of his work in 1866 was as follows:

"During the past year we have enjoyed much of the goodness of God. As a season succeeding a remarkable awakening and revival, it may be regarded as a time of trial. But experience has proved the work to be genuine and of the Lord for, with but few exceptions, the members are true to their profession. Church ordinances have been regularly attended to. The Church is laboring for the conversion of souls; and with an open door which no man can shut, we press towards the mark of our high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

In the nineteenth century, when a person wished to join the Baptist Church, he/she must have been able to give proof of conversion at a conference meeting. This usually meant an oral discourse on ones religious experience and an expression of ones desire to become a church member. In turn, this was almost immediately followed by baptism and acceptance into the membership of the church. The intensity of the faith of these early Christians can best be demonstrated by an excerpt from the church records for the year 1863:

"At a conference held December 4th, Catherine Jane Rogers on her religious experience, was received for baptism and on Lords day the 6th she was baptized and received into the church."

Since there was no baptistery in the church, it would be reasonable to assume that she was baptized in the river. Also, it would seem that baptisms were held outside town, probably in conjunction with the church at Whitney. An entry for June, 1865 reads:

"At a meeting held on Friday evening June 9th Miss Ann Morrison on her religious experience was received for baptism and on Lords Day the 11th AM she was baptized in North Esk and in the evening she received the right hand of fellowship and was received into the church."

From historical references, it is obvious that the Baptist churches of the Miramichi not only shared baptisms but also shared their pastor. In 1866, when Edward Hickson Tozer was born at Sillikers, W. D. Hamilton says in his book Old North Esk on the Miramichi: "Edward ... was named for the Rev. Edward Hickson, the minister of the Little South West Baptist Church at the time of his birth." Our church records verify that Mr. Hickson was pastor of the Newcastle Church from 1863 until 1870 so it would seem that he may have been the only Baptist pastor on the Miramichi at that time.

During the 1870s and 1880s the Newcastle church seemed to be finding it difficult to get and support a pastor by themselves. The New Brunswick Baptist Home Mission Society had been petitioned for supplementary funds on several occasions. One entry in the registry states: "Our financial and numerical strength is deeply affected by the depression of times on these parts. Many of our most useful and promising members have left and are leaving home to seek employment in distant lands." For this reason, at a regular business meeting held on January 24, 1888, a request was made to the Home Mission Society to study the feasibility of grouping the North Esk, Little South West, and Newcastle churches under one pastor. In 1891 an arrangement was made whereby Rev. Crabbe served both Newcastle and Whitneyville churches. How long this continued is not in evidence in the minutes but in 1907 Whitney had their own pastor, Rev. I. N. Thorne.

The Newcastle Baptist Church early demonstrated its interest in extending the Baptist witness to other areas and this interest has continued into the 1970s. On March 25, 1865 a request was received from the Blissfield-Blackville-Ludlow areas for a delegation to assist in the organization of a new church in Blissfield. This was done and a new church was subsequently formed there on July 8, 1865. Again, it would seem that Miramichi Baptist churches were cooperating in this endeavour. In an article entitled The Miramichi Baptist Church published in the North Shore Leader, April 13, 1872, W. D. Hamilton states that Rev. James Tozer, a Miramichi resident who became indentured to the ministry at North Esk, "founded and promoted the Blissfield Baptist Church and, all in all, gave about thirty-five years of his life to the Blissfield-Ludlow area.

The first mention of the Derby Church as separate from the Newcastle congregation is made in the minutes of the business meeting of August 5, 1879 when the matter of the pastors salary was under discussion. It was, at that time, moved that the salary be "raised between Newcastle and Derby from this date". On September 30, 1884 a motion was made to deed the Baptist Meeting House in Derby to the Home Mission Board to be held in trust for the Newcastle Baptist Church. There is no evidence that regular meetings were being held at this Meeting House until 1905 when afternoon services were conducted on Sundays except when road conditions prohibited travel. By 1909 trustees from Derby were appointed to look after the Church building there and by 1920 Derby had their own Church treasurer. In spite of this, for many more years, all business was transacted through the Newcastle church and all the Baptist people in Derby were members and/or officers of the Mother Church. It was not until 1959 when nine members of the Newcastle church decided to organize the Lower Derby United Baptist Church that the church appointed all its own officers and became a part of the Atlantic Baptist Convention. The services of the pastor of the Newcastle Church were still retained. Only in this year, 1979, after discussions between the two groups, was a decision made whereby the Derby church became completely separate from the Newcastle charge. This became effective on August 31, 1979.

Also, in the last decade, the Newcastle Baptist Church has parented a new church in Chatham. Rev. Ewald Schmidt, assistant pastor of the Newcastle church at the time of the extension, left this field to guide the Chatham church. The land for a building was purchased in 1974 and the Bible United Baptist church became a reality soon after. In 1979 a parsonage was also built adjacent to the church on the Loggieville Road.

In the early years of the Newcastle United Baptist Church, the day by day activities of the church differed greatly from those of the twentieth century. Three very good examples of this divergence were the manner in which pews were obtained, the matter of church discipline and the system of collecting monies. Pews were not installed in the first Baptist Church until 1865. In June of that year they were auctioned, the highest bidder, of course, getting his choice of pew. After payment of the amount bid, the person was then obligated to pay rent at one dollar per year for each person who would occupy that pew. A list of successful bidders together with rents required was incorporated into the church records. Various references were made in the ensuing years to problems in collecting pew rent but this same system extended into the early twentieth century.

Compared to the standards of the twentieth century, early churches were very exacting in their discipline. The Newcastle Baptist Church was no exception. Many who joined the congregation were later excluded from membership due to an infraction of the Church law. The following are some typical entries in the nineteenth century records of this church:

(1) December 14, 1866 ... "Brother James _______ being present stated to the church that while in New York he yielded to temptation which caused him great sorrow. He had sinned against the church and against God. He sought forgiveness from God and hoped he had obtained it and now asked forgiveness from the church. On motion resolved that the church accept this humble confession and regard Brother _________ as restored to his usual good standing."
(2) October 5, 1885 ... The church withdrew the hand of fellowship from Brother __________ for drunkenness after he had been approached by a committee and failed to fulfill fair promises.
(3) March 17, 1865 ... Sister __________ was excluded from the fellowship after "strong evidence was brought to bear against her that she had been dancing at a Party."

Even a case of failing to attend church meetings and conferences or failure to perform an assigned duty could mean rejection from the fellowship of the church. This harsh penance paid by individual church members tended to make the congregation pass through alternate periods of dedication and indifference. However, after the turn of the century, few, if any, references can be found concerning church discipline.

The system of collecting money has changed somewhat also from the 1850s. In the beginning, most money was obtained by subscriptions That is, to obtain money to pay a pastor, one member was appointed to visit all other church members and obtain a commitment as to how much money each would be able to give towards the pastors salary for one year. If enough could not be obtained an application was then made to the New Brunswick Baptist Home Mission Society for assistance. Despite all of this, pastors still didnt always get paid as there are various instances where references were made to members not paying their dues. This same system was followed to raise money for repairs, maintenance, fuel, etc. Collections at meetings were usually donated to missions or used to help the needy in the immediate area.

The system of using envelopes was discussed at a business meeting as early as 1884 but it was not until 1900 that the pastor was given the authority to collect the envelopes from church members and keep a record of amounts received. In 1906 a minimum salary plan for all Baptist churches in the Maritimes was introduced and adopted by the Newcastle church. It was designed "to get the people to accept the envelopes; as ... "a systematic giving in this way would greatly benefit the church." By 1909 all matters of finances had been turned over to a Finance Committee and all monies were cared for by the Church Treasurer. By 1914 the Church had freed the Home Mission Board from any further financial obligations and from thenceforth has been self-supporting.

In 1911 the church building was completely renovated both inside and out. A belfry, baptistry and Sunday School rooms were added at a total cost of five thousand dollars. Four beautiful stained glass windows were donated as memorials and Sir Max Aitken later Lord Beaverbrook, contributed a lovely brass bell. The church was re-dedicated to the worship of God in March of that year.

This is the church as built in 1911. It was demolished to make way
for the present church which started construction in 1978.

In 1920 the present parsonage was built at a cost of five thousand five hundred dollars. Prior to this time a parsonage at the rear of the church, where the parking lot now is, had been used. It was destroyed by fire on August 28, 1927 and the adjacent church was badly damaged. Undaunted, the members began repairs immediately and the church was reopened and re-dedicated on November 20, 1927.

No further major changes were made in the structure until 1954 when the basement was renovated; Sunday School rooms, a vestry, and a rear basement entry way were added; a new oil furnace was installed; the choir loft was rebuilt; and a new baptistry was donated.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s much discussion took place concerning the pros and cons of again remodeling and adding to the existing church building. Many felt it would be more economical to erect a new structure. Accordingly, on February 2, 1972, Paul Swim was placed in charge of a fact-finding committee about a new church building and on June 6 of the same year a planning committee was established to decide what type of church building would be most appropriate for our congregation.

On March 27, 1974 a building committee was set up consisting of seven members of the church family: Mrs. George Anderson, Mrs. Russell Sprague, Mr. Dale Berry, Mr. Philip Cann, Mr. Roger Farrer, Mr. Paul Swim, and Mr. Harry Brace. Mrs. Gladys Davis, Mr. Harvey Urquhart, and Mr. Wayne Matthews were added at a later date. In June, 1976, this committee recommended to the congregation that a new church be built on the site of the old edifice. After much consultation, the Building Committee resolved that Cathedral Development Inc. offered the best package to the church with respect to architectural services, planning, and construction supervision. On October 12, 1977, the plans were presented to the membership of the church for final approval and received a near-unanimous 56 to 3 vote in favour of proceeding with the construction of the new building. In the early spring of 1978 the Newcastle United Baptist Church began conducting services in the Miramichi Valley High School auditorium as the demolition of the old church building began. Finally, one morning in early April, the empty frame of the 125 year old structure came toppling to the ground. It was a sad moment for many of us but we realized that, in order to carry on Gods work, we needed a new, larger facility. St. James Presbyterian Church, St. James and St. John United Church, and the Masonic Lodge were all kindly offered for our use in the interim.

Almost immediately work began on the new church building which would cost nearly one thousand times its predecessor. After one year of work, on March 8, 1979, the first service was held in the beautiful sanctuary.

Today, as one walks toward the Newcastle United Baptist Church on the corner of King George Highway and Prince William Street, one can hear the peal of Beaverbrooks bell as it swings in the new bell tower financed by the Beaverbrook Foundation. Upon passing through the front doors of the ultra-modern structure and into the foyer one may catch a glimpse of five ornate stained glass windows that create a sense of heritage enmeshed with the architecture of present times. The sanctuary, as well, creates this image of bygone years. Amid the sight of sparkling new spotlights and comfortable pulpit chairs, one is humbled by the huge, solid wooden beams and cross-members that make up the ceiling. Although we are indeed proud of our new edifice we fully realize that without the grace of God, it would never have been possible. The building will be used to preach the Gospel of Christ to all who will come and we hope that all those who attend will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Master.

Reference material used in this publication:

Hamilton, W. D. Old North Esk on the Miramichi, Fredericton, 1979.
Hamilton, W. D., The Miramichi Baptist Church, North Shore Leader, March and April, 1972.
Newcastle United Baptist Church Records from 1853 to 1954 obtained from the Archives at Acadia University, Wolfville, N. S
Newcastle United Baptist Church Records from 1954 to 1979.
Wallace, Rev. Issiah, Autobiography and Revival Reminiscences, Halifax, 1903.