Bethesda Sunday School - Possible Origins

These two paragraphs from an article by Ryan Taylor likely explain how Bethesda Sunday School began at a crossroads in Downie Township.


"Because Methodism had evangelism as its base, there was a tradition of Circuit- riding missionaries through out the province. Small churches were established even in remote villages. Tiny country churches sprang up at crossroads without any houses around them. They served the farming community in the vicinity.

The farmers in a given area would be glad to have their own church nearby, however small it was. They might also find themselves in a disagreement with their neighbours or the local preacher on some theological point and begin a new congregation. The result was a proliferation of these little log cabin churches dotted on back concessions."

I don't know if this accounts for the Sunday School being established on a 1/4 acre lot on the SE corner of Lot 6 Concession 12 on land first settled by John Edwards in 1854. At his death in 1862 the lot was subdivided into 8 pieces for his children. A short time later in 1865 the Sunday School was built. Could there be a connection between John's death, the splitting up of the land, and the establishment of the Sunday School?
Methodist Church Records In Ontario
By: Ryan Taylor, Biography and Archived Articles

Bethesda Sunday School - An important social opportunity

In a post back in May, I talked of the Sunday afternoon tradition wherein Mae and her children walked up the road for the 2:30 service at the Bethesda Sunday School. That tiny Sunday School played an important role in the religious and social life of the community, a role even more convoluted in the lifes of the young people. Last weekend Lois and I visited the site of the original Sunday School and graveyard. As can be seen in this picture, the site is marked by a cairn and since the early 1970's the township has maintained the property. No one is sure what has happened to the tombstones. It is possible, at this time of year when the grass is dry, to trace the line of the original Sunday School foundation. While I didn't have a tape measure with me I paced out the line and estimated it as being about 21 x 27 feet: not much bigger than many suburban living rooms. In this picture you can almost see the line of the south-west wall of the original structure. The Sunday School sat near the road and behind a wire fence; to the south was the even smaller shed where Mr. Proudlove or Mrs. Vanstone, who shared the role of superintendent, sheltered their horses in winter. The graveyard, with the tombstones of the Iredales, Ellahs, Roadhouses and other families who first settled the area, was at the back of the property. I have one picture of the structure. In this picture of Annie Danard, Lois, and Bernice Evans (on the right) it can be seen that the building was a frame structure with a centre doorway flanked by windows. Inside, was a centre aisle, a stove in the middle, and pews on either side. Windows on both the north and south sides let in light. There were also brackets on the walls to hold the coal oil lamps. A small organ sat on the platform. Services followed a traditional pattern: first, a call to worship and a hymn. Mae Hearn played the piano for the hymns, and after she died, Lois took over the task. Lois now, rather sheepishly remembers that she often skipped notes as she played, and always had a comment to make to Mr. Proudlove when she went to the front to play the music. There were hymn books for the congregation. The hymn was followed by a prayer. Two people were in charge of passing the collection plates and Lois remembers her mother carefully giving each of her children a nickel for the collection plate. Then the members broke into groups for the Sunday School lesson. Lois' mother Mae always acted as a teacher for one of the classes. The class was followed by a second hymn and a prayer. By 4 o'clock the service was over. As they emerged from the building (fast forward to the 1930's) Lois and her friends would be hoping to see additional cars parked outside. One of the cars would likely belong to Gordon McEwan, and possibly a second car would belong to Roy Aitcheson who was going with Lois' good friend Helen Laing. Then, for those lucky girls who had boyfriends, it was a drive through the countryside, lots of talk and laughter and then home in time for supper and (in the case of the guys) barn chores. (On the next blog I will talk about the families who attended the Sunday School and the opportunity which the Sunday School provided for additional socializing.)