There will be many heavy hearts this Sunday as the last worship service takes place at the century-old St. John the Baptist Anglican Church on Ravenscliffe Road.
But Reverend Judie Cooper, who has been leading regular worship there for the past two years, says there will be some excited hearts too as new challenges are ahead.
The decision to discontinue weekly, year-round services at St. John’s was not an easy one. It’s taken more than six years to come to an agreement and the bottom line is that there just aren’t enough members of the congregation to keep it up and running. Cooper indicated that although Sunday morning worship will no longer be offered, the building will not be closed right away. It will be a chapel for the community to be used for “occasional services.”
“As people have passed on or moved away, we haven’t been able to identify the needs of people who aren’t in the church,” she said. “We have tried everything we can. In the culture of the day, there seems to be a lot more important things or fun things to do on a Sunday morning.”
Cooper added that the closing of St. John’s is a big loss in terms of the church’s history as well as all the work that’s been put into it. More than $100,000 has gone into upgrading the church in the last decade.
On average, about 16 people attended the church regularly and managed to raise approximately $40,000 every year for the church. That amount, she said, truly proves their dedication. Cooper called St. John’s congregation the most “generous, kind-hearted people who not only give faithfully but work tirelessly” to support the church. In the end, she said, it’s not just about the financial difficulties, but the amount of work that had to taken on by such a small group to keep the church open.
We as a congregation are extremely thankful to all the people who worked hard for the last 100 years and more to build that church and support St. John’s and keep it going so it could bless our lives. We want to honour the work they’ve done by continuing to bless our communities in the best way we can. And we believe that way is having one church in Port Sydney.Reverend Judie Cooper
Members of St. John’s congregation will now be attending regular services at Christ Church in Port Sydney. The small, historical, Anglican church was facing similar challenges, which affected the church’s ability to have decent community programming. But combining the two congregations will enable a successful delivery of those programs, said Cooper.
“We see this as a good thing, a positive thing and a way to better do our mission,” she stated.
Rick Keevil, president of the Ravenscliffe Community Centre Association, called the church closure the “biggest historical event Ravenscliffe has ever witnessed.”
“I never went to church, but I feel sorry for people who were trying to keep it going,” he said. “They put their heart and soul into it. This is not their number one choice. They’ve tried and tried to get people to come and it just didn’t happen.”
Cooper wants anyone who has concerns over the future of St. John’s cemetery to be assured that the grounds are “well financed” and will continue to be well cared for.
The last Sunday service at St. John’s is taking place this Sunday, April 30 at 10 a.m. There will be an official celebration service, which will be open to the public, on Tuesday, May 16 at 7 p.m. A special ceremony will also take place at the cemetery on that night where electric candles will be placed on every gravestone on the property.
Anyone seeking special permission to have an event at St. John’s can contact the priest and wardens at Christ Church Port Sydney at 705-385-3546.
Note: this story has been updated to accurately reflect the current situation at Christ Church Port Sydney.
Related story: Future of Ravenscliffe Roac church up in the air
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I am sorry for your loss, Huntsville! So many churches are going through similar times. To stay open or to close. First Presbyterian Church, St. David’s Ont. have 7 to 12 people who attend. We have a minister who came out of retirement to guide us, with the aid of our moderator of the Niagara area.. … the regular attendees are all over 70!! We run a shop in the basement, and this month saw a bank deposit of $400.00 for April and we rent the manse out at a ridiculous $600.00 per month (when we could be getting $1200.00) but the renters look after the grounds and church. We also have a vegetable garden and the produce we either sell or use for our Sunday Luncheon. In time, we will have to let go and allow the closing of FPC We are in , what I consider, “The Bible Belt” of Niagara. The churches around us are thriving, so what happened to all The Presbyterians and their families, that once attended this historical church?
Thank you for the correction, Judie. We’ve updated the story.
Wow, Laura Maclean did a great job on this story. But I have to change one thing…..Port Sydney was NOT facing possible closure….not even under review….perhaps what I said was that Port Sydney faces similar challenges, with smaller numbers of people doing more and more of the work. They are a congregation firmly looking into the future! So together, we can indeed make that an even better future! And to everyone who reads this who hasn’t been in a church in recent years, I encourage to just “go” to the church of your choice and enjoy the blessings, while also offering some of your time to make things better. That’s one way we pass on the joy of the Resurrection and the presence of Jesus in our lives! Thanks, Laura!