St. Paul's Presbyterian Church
St. Paul's Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in downtown Hamilton, standing in the Reformed tradition. It believes that all people are sinners saved through faith in Jesus Christ, that God grants salvation freely out of love, and that the Bible is God's Word. It points to the Presbyterian statement Living Faith and the Westminster Confession of Faith, and describes itself as an inclusive and affirming congregation.
St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church stands on James Street South at Jackson Street in downtown Hamilton. Its limestone church was designed in the Gothic Revival style by William Thomas and built between 1854 and 1857, with a stone spire rising from the square tower over its main entrance. The Government of Canada designated it a national historic site in 1990 as a fine representative example of the Gothic Revival style, reflecting the Ecclesiological movement’s preference for plans based on medieval English parish churches. It is also protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust easement and designated by the City under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The congregation dates its founding to 1833, when it was called St. Andrew’s and belonged to the Church of Scotland, under its first minister, the Reverend Alexander Gale; it worshipped at first in the Court House and from 1835 in a frame church on the present site. After the Disruption of 1843, Gale and part of the congregation left to found Knox Church. The name St. Paul’s was adopted in 1873, and in 1925 the congregation voted to remain in the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Its eleven bells were first rung on 11 November 1906 and are still played on Sunday mornings, and a Celtic Cross of Sacrifice, raised in 1921, honours members of the congregation who died in war.
Sunday worship is at 11:00 a.m. and is livestreamed. The Reverend Dr. J. Mark Lewis, a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, serves as interim moderator, and the church offers heritage tours by appointment or on a drop-in basis.
What to expect
The church invites visitors to wear whatever is comfortable; some come in suits or dresses and others in jeans and T-shirts. The service follows a traditional order, with hymns from the Book of Praise, a responsive psalm, scripture readings, a sermon and a choral anthem each Sunday, accompanied by the four-manual Casavant organ installed in 1911. Large-print hymnals are available at the back of the sanctuary and ushers can help. Coffee, snacks and conversation follow in the church hall.
About this listing
Sources: stpaulshamilton.ca, historicplaces.ca, hamilton.ca, web.archive.org.
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