Englehart (Ont.)

Christ Anglican Church (Englehart, Ont.)  is a church in the Northern Lights Anglican Parish (Haileybury, Ont.). 

Rev. John Leigh asked the Bishop of Algoma for work in the diocese in 1906, and was offered a $500 annual stipend. He arrived in Englehart in April 1907 and met with Rev. R.A. Cowling of Haileybury. Rev. Leigh’s home was built immediately: a shack 30” by 14”. The first service was held April 21, 1907.

The foundation for the parsonage was laid on May 6, 1907. Fundraising for the church commenced, and in the meantime Rev. Leigh held service above the post office loaned by Mr. Robert Brittain. The church was dedicated in September of the same year.

In 1950, St. Luke's Anglican Church (Hanbury, Ont.) was donated to the congregation of Englehart. Materials from the church were used to renovate the floor, roof, insulation, and wiring. The church building underwent renovations again in 1959 which included the addition of a vestry, storage units, and a rear stairway. Christ Church celebrated the 65th anniversary of the parish at a service of thanksgiving and re-dedication on September 28, 1972.  In the same year a renovation project was undertaken to complete the interior of the church, enlarge the kitchen, refurbish the downstairs hall, and create a new church office and vestry.

Christ Anglican Church (Englehart, Ont.) was consecrated on October 27, 1985 by the Right Rev. Leslie Peterson, Bishop of Algoma.

Incumbents have included: Rev. John Leigh (1907-?), Rev. Edward Francis Pinnington (1911-1912), Rev. James Templeton (1919-1921), Rev. Christopher Lord (1924-1927), Rev. Frederick Elmer Jewell (1932-1937), Rev. Arthur Preston Scott (1936).

Sources:

• "Christ Church At Englehart Makes Progress", The Algoma Anglican 3, no.6 (1959): 9.
• Jean Wallace, "Incentive Job For Englehart", The Algoma Anglican 16, no.5 (1972): 3. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086_001_008_005.
• "65th Anniversary Service", The Algoma Anglican 16, no.10 (1972): 1. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086_001_008_010.
• Jean Wallace, "Bishop Peterson conducts consecration service at Christ Church, Englehart", The Algoma Anglican 32, no.10 (1985): 1. Algoma University Archives, 2013-086_001_014_011.
• Rev. John Leigh, “Historical Notes on the Early Days of Christ Church Englehart, Ont.”, [1907-19??], Christ Anglican Church (Englehart, Ont.) sous fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2009-163_001_001.
• “Notes on Past Clergy”, [198-?], Almaguin Anglican Parish (Sundridge, Ont.) fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2012-010_001_006.
• "Parish History" in "Parish Register, 1923-1949, 1965, St. Luke's Church (Hanbury, Ont.) sous fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2010-163/001(001).

Northern Lights Anglican Parish (Haileybury, Ont.) is a multi-point parish along the Ontario-Quebec border around Lake Temiskaming. The parish is composed of Christ Anglican Church (Englehart, Ont.), Grace Anglican Church (South River, Ont.), St. Andrew's Anglican Church (Chamberlain, Ont.), St. Faith's Anglican Church (Charlton, Ont.), St. James' Anglican Church (Cobalt, Ont.), St. James' Anglican Church (Heaslip, Ont.), St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church (New Liskeard, Ont.), St. Luke's Anglican Church (Hanbury, Ont.), St. Paul's Anglican Church (Elk Lake, Ont.), and St. Paul's Anglican Church (Haileybury, Ont.).

In 1907 Mr. Ballard, Curate of the St. Faith’s in Tynemouth, England, was sent to this northern Algoma region to give a donation of $136.83 to Rev. John Leigh (ordained December 20, 1908). This money was to be used in the development of five small churches in the area, the mother church being Christ Anglican Church (Englehart, Ont.).

In the early years, Rev. Leigh would make a circuit of the area performing Sunday services every two weeks. He would arrive in Charlton the Saturday night, leave for Englehart the Sunday afternoon, and the next Sunday leave for Heaslip for a morning service, then a train to Thornloe for an afternoon service, and a last train back to Englehart for an evening service.

The area suffered a devastating fire on October 4, 1922. Five of the mission churches burned: St. Paul’s (Haileybury, Ont.), St. George’s (North Cobalt, Ont.), St. Luke’s (Harley Township, Ont.), St. Oswald’s (Thornloe, Ont.), and St. Faith’s (Charlton, Ont.).

The Northern Lights Parish was established officially in 1998 with five congregations: It originally consisted of five congregations: St. James’, Cobalt, St. Paul’s, Haileybury, St. John’s, New Liskeard, Christ Church, Englehart and St. Faith’s, Charlton. In 2005, St. Faith’s, Charlton, closed its doors and the congregation was invited to join the congregation of Christ Church, Englehart, which is a ten minute drive from Charlton. In 2013 the congregation of St. John’s, New Liskeard, made the decision to close its doors, while working through a parish assessment laid out by the Diocese. St. Paul’s, Haileybury, opened their arms and the invitation of a merger between the two congregations was offered. Haileybury is approximately a 10 min. drive from New Liskeard. The two congregations are now merged and the identity of both churches was voted on and accepted as The Church of St. Paul and St. John.

Northern Lights Parish has a Parish Council which consists of the Clergy and the Wardens and a member at large of each congregation.  The Council oversees all activities throughout the parish and makes decisions in temporal matters. Parish Council passes down information from the Diocese to the individual congregations, and determines the share of the expenses to be paid by each congregation

Sources:

• “The Story of St. Faith’s”, 2000, St. Faith’s Anglican Church (Charlton, Ont.) sous fonds, Algoma University Archives, 2010-197_001_001.
• "Parish Profile: Northern Lights Parish", Diocese of Algoma.