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"Baptists" emerged during the Protestant Reformation as believers began
re-emphasizing biblical principles such as believers' baptism by immersion (rather than infant baptism
by sprinkling or pouring).
In Canada, the first Baptist churches were established in the Maritimes and
Ontario in the 1700s and in Quebec and Western Canada in the 1800s. New Baptist churches continue to
be established as Canada grows and changes.
Throughout Canadian history, Baptists have been active in sharing the gospel,
planting churches, and providing practical social justice ministries. Furthermore, Canadian Baptists
have actively supported overseas missions for almost 200 years. As a family, we support missionaries
in 15 countries, overseas relief and development projects, publishing, youth work, and public affairs
initiatives.
The Canadian Baptist family includes Baptists in all regions of the country,
which combined represent a federation of churches under the organization of Canadian Baptist Ministries
(CBM). More than 130,000 believers in approximately 1,100 churches hold worship services from Port Alberni,
BC to St. John's NF and from Yellowknife, NT to Windsor, ON. On any given Sunday, services may be
conducted in over 30 different languages!
Nationally, CBM supports four seminaries, one Liberal Arts university, two lay
leadership development programs, and dozens of camps and specialized ministries. Internationally, Canadian
Baptists are part of a larger family, as they are members of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA). Through the
BWA, more than 42 million Baptists around the world share their faith, vision and ministries.
Information in this section courtesy of CBM.
A History of McPhail Memorial Baptist Church
On November 1, 1886, a Sunday school was started in an abandoned stable known as
Fisher Hall, with an attendance for the first year of 35. About one year later, the Young Men's Mission
Association of the First Church led the Maria Street Church to procure a lot on Bronson Avenue and erect
a hall thereon, with a seating capacity of about 200.
On July 18, 1888, a special meeting of the Maria Street Church was held where a
number of members brought up the question of organizing a separate church there. On October 20 of that year,
the first baptisms were administered, and on Monday October 21, the ordinance of the Lord's supper was first
observed in the new church.
For the first few years, students under the auspice of the Home Mission Board led
the work of the ministry. However, in 1891, a call was sent to the Rev. W.T. Graham at a salary of $800 per
annum. Rev. Graham's ministry was short, but he was the first settled pastor and under him the foundation was
well and truly laid.
Rev. A.N. Firth was the next minister and commenced his pastorate on September 4,
1892. During his ministry, the present church building was begun and in less than eighteen months from the
time he took charge, it was completed. When the new church was opened, it was given the name it now bears,
McPhail Memorial Baptist Church, in memory of the late Rev. Daniel McPhail.
A Short Biography of the Rev. Daniel McPhail, 1811 - 1875
Daniel McPhail was born in Scotland, but he was raised in Quebec where his father
preached the gospel in the town of Chatham. In 1838, at the age of 27, Daniel McPhail graduated from Madison
University in Hamilton, New York.
Early in 1839, the young missionary came to the township of Osgoode (south of
Ottawa) and began his work. People were converted; some were baptized and hundreds were influenced to the
good. Shortly thereafter, a need for a church was realized and on July 14, 1839, a Baptist church was founded
with 45 people as its first members. In 1840, McPhail was ordained as its minister and entered the pastorate
for 24 years.
The church at Osgoode was the base from which he worked the surrounding country.
Entirely forgetful of self, he toiled year in and year out for the glory of God and the good of others.
Churches were founded by him at South Gower, Winchester, Kenmore and Ormond. Ormond was the last of the
churches that he helped to found, and as it was not far from Osgoode, he assumed its pastoral oversight.
During his 24 years as pastor, great numbers of people were converted and he
personally baptized more than a thousand of them. In September 1865, he was called to two churches - South
Gower and Ottawa. He accepted the call to Ottawa, and became the pastor of First Baptist Church (whose
congregation was instrumental in establishing the congregation that would later become McPhail Memorial
Baptist Church. After five years in Ottawa, Rev. McPhail felt called to leave pastoral ministry to do
itinerant evangelism.
For a few months, he went about the country as he had done before - strengthening
the churches he had helped organize and doing the work of an apostle. It was because of his work in church
planting and evangelism that he became known as "The Elijah of the Ottawa Valley".
On January 8, 1871, he was dispensing the sacrament of communion in the church at
Winchester and in the midst of the service was stricken with a paralytic stroke. For three years his
affliction was patiently borne and on August 23, 1875, he passed on to his glorious reward.
It was as a man of prayer that Daniel McPhail excelled. Add to this his tremendous
passion for reaching the individual, the love that crowned all that he did and the faithfulness with which he
served the Church, and you have said all that can be said about his contribution to Canadian Baptist history.
Information in this section provided courtesy of the Canadian Baptist Archives,
McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, ON.
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