Chisholm Twp. (Ont.)

St. John's Anglican Church (Chisholm Twp., Ont.) is part of the Anglican Parish of Callander, Powassan, Restoule, and Chisholm located in the Nipissing District of Ontario.

Chisholm was originally part of the Ottawa Diocese, but being too remote from any of their parishes or missions, did not receive much attention. St. Mary’s (Powassan, Ont.) is recorded to have served the area, and is considered the mother church of St. John’s. Rev. W. C. White was the first to make trips to Chisholm for services in people’s homes in 1890-1891 and Rev. Rowland was the first to conduct a service on Sunday in Chisholm.

Rev. Rowland was also the one who collected enough money in 1909 from Ottawa to justify the erection of a church at Chisholm, and the church was built in 1910 under the direction of Mr. Edward Topps. The first service was held on March 5, 1911, and it was dedicated on March 12, 1911 by the Right Reverend Thorneloe, Bishop of Algoma.

In 1956 it was recommended that Chisholm Township be added to the Diocese of Algoma, and so it was in 1959 based on approval by the Provincial Synod. A few years later, in 1960, St. John's celebrated its 50th anniversary. By 1974 regular services at St. John’s were discontinued due to declining attendance and there were only summer/special occasion services. In 1995, though, there was increased interest again for monthly services on Saturday evenings.

In 2011 the church celebrated its 100th anniversary, and in 2015 St John's church closed and a service of deconsecration was held.

Incumbents include: Rev. W. C. White (1890-1891), Mr. F. Ulbricht (1892-1894), Mr. W. Hunter (1895), Rev. C. H. Buckland (1896-1898), Rev. A. J. Cobb (1898-1899), Rev. D. A. Johnston (1899-1903), Rev. H. King (1903-1905), Rev. E. M. Rowland (1905-1913), Rev. P.A. Paris (1913-1918), Rev. R. Haines (1918-1923), Rev. H. Peeling (1923-1928), Rev. J. H. Evans (1928-1929), Rev. L. Sinclair (1929-1930), Rev. L. A. Sampson (1930), Rev. C. B. Harris (1930-1933), Rev. A. P. Scott (1933-1934), Ven. W. A. J. Burt (1934-1938), Rev. A. E. Carding (1938-1944), Rev. R. C. Warder (1944-1947), Rev. G. A. Stone (1947-1948), Canon A. E. Minchin (1948-1954), Rev. P. G. Docksey (1954-1959), Rev. D. L. Woodward (1959-1982), Rev. R. Duncan (1982-1986), Rev. M. Clark (1986-1994), Rev. G. Churcher (1994-2003), Rev. J. Lockyer (2003-2008), Rev. J. Cavanaugh-Clark (2008-2011), Fr. G. Kwari (2011?-2013), Rev J. Locke (2013-2015).

Source:

• "Report of the Executive Committee", 1956, Journal of Proceedings of the Eighteenth Session of the Synod, Algoma University Archives, 2009-078_002_016.
• "Report of the Executive Committee", 1959, Journal of Proceedings of the Nineteenth Session of the Synod, Algoma University Archives, 2009-078_002_017.
• "Inclement Weather Fails to Dampen 50th Anniversary Dinner at Chisholm", The Algoma Anglican 4, no.10 (1960): 6. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086-001-001_1960November.
• “History of St. John’s Church, Chisholm: Commemorating the 50^th Anniversary 1910-1960”, 1960, Diocesan Heritage Centre Parish History collection, Algoma University Archives, 2014-019_001_038.
• "St. John’s, Chisholm celebrates 100 years", The Algoma Anglican 55, no. 7 (2011): 1 and 6. Diocese of Algoma.
• St. John's Chisholm closed in 2015, Anglican Parish of Powassan, http://www.trilliumanglicanparish.com/about_us.htm [accessed 2020 April, 23].

The Anglican Parish of Callander, Powassan, Restoule, and Chisholm comprises five congregations:  St. Alban's Anglican Church (Restoule, Ont.), St. George's Anglican Church (Trout Creek, Ont.), St. John's Anglican Church (Chisholm Twp., Ont.), St. Mary's Anglican Church (Powassan, Ont.), and St. Peter's Anglican Church (Callander, Ont.) located in the Nipissing District of Ontario.