Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church Celebrates 50 Years

Click here for a list of GUEST SPEAKERS through our anniversary year.

Click here to see a list of UPCOMING EVENTS.

Click here for information on our ANNIVERSARY MISSION PROJECT.

Click here for information on our anniversary CONCERT SERIES.

Click here to see a few PICTURES of events.

“Looking Back With Thanks, Looking Forward With Faith”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the congregation of Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church, and the occasion will be marked by a year-long celebration with the theme “Looking Back With Thanks, Looking Forward With Faith”.

Special events commemorating the past, present, and future of the congregation will be held throughout the year, including a 60’s fashion show, a mystery dinner, a Christmas Candlelight Stroll on the church grounds, and an anniversary concert series.

Music has always played a large part in the congregation’s life, and both a choir reunion weekend on April 24/25 and a bell choir reunion weekend on May 15/16 are part of the plans.

The congregation worshipped at Guildwood Public School starting in early 1960, but by 1963 plans for their new church building had been approved and work began. The congregants moved into the present church building in 1964. An addition to the building was completed in 1990.

Originally a mission church supported by The Presbyterian Church in Canada, it became self-supporting in 1976. Its charter membership was 34, but the congregation has grown so that today there are over 300 worshippers. One of the church’s charter members still attends.

Since its creation, the church has called 8 full-time ministers. In addition, it has supported several student ministers and employed ministers for pastoral care and interim positions. During the celebrations, the congregation will be warmly welcoming back many of these ministers to preach at special services held once a month.

The first (on January 17, 2010) will be the earliest surviving minister, the Rev. Gordon Fish, who ministered at Guildwood from 1969 to 1974. Others who have accepted the congregation’s invitation and confirmed their participation include the Rev. Dr. Wally Whyte (February 14), the Rev. Dr. Stephen Farris (March 7), the Rev. Katherine McCloskey (April 18), the Rev. Dr. Ralph Kendall (May 16), the Rev. Gordon Beaton (June 20), the Rev. Douglas Rollwage (July 18, 10 AM service), the Rev. Michael Koslowski (September 5th, 10 AM service), the Rev. Dr. Jim Sitler (October 17), and the Rev. Dr. J.P. Ian Morrison (November 21). The church’s current minister, the Rev. Hugh Donnelly, will conduct the special anniversary worship service on April 25. Note: all worship services are Sundays at 11am, except June, July and August which have a 10AM start.

Current and former members of the church as well as members of the community are invited to take part in the celebrations. For more information about the upcoming celebrations at Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church, please visit www.guildwoodchurch.ca or contact the church office at 416-261-4037. The church is located at 140 Guildwood Parkway, Scarborough.