Almost 2 Centuries of Service to the Weston Community…
When we look at the history of this church, we find there was Presbyterian worship in Weston even before 1847. Services were held in the homes of residents in the early days of this community. Weston was still a hamlet by the Humber and Toronto was a long way off.
Robert MacDougall, a Justice of the Peace, and John Pirritte, the local teacher, were devout Presbyterians who had recently come out from Scotland. They often walked to Toronto on Sunday mornings to hear the Rev. Joseph Harris of First Presbyterian Church. Mr. Harris was formerly from Belfast and he was the first Presbyterian Minister in Toronto. Occasionally, Mr. Harris would walk back with these two staunch Presbyterians and conduct an afternoon service in one of their homes in Weston. Interestingly, we find our Irish and Scottish heritage joined together in these very first Presbyterian worship services in this community. It was on June 16th, 1847, that the Toronto Presbytery appointed the Rev. Harris to preach at Weston and this Church became an official preaching station in that year.
In each generation there have been people in our congregation who have continued to work and plan for the future. We continue to the future so that our efforts may strengthen our Church’s ministry, and ensure its continued life and service to future generations. At Weston we still reach out to the community as individual volunteers and as an integral part of our community while we continue our strong support for the global community through the ministries of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Weston Presbyterian Church has always felt blessed to serve and we look forward to being an important part of the Weston community in the future.
Weston is a congregation of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. You are invited to join us in worshiping God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit every Sunday. Services begin at 10:30 a.m. with Church School at the same time. Come – you will be welcomed!
Our Minister
Rev. Dr. Lance Odland
Rev. Dr. Lance Odland is teaching elder and the moderator of session (Minister). The Rev. Dr. Odland was ordained and inducted as such in November 2000 after graduating from Knox College in Toronto. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from York University and studied previously at the University of Alberta.
Our mission is:
to encourage worship of God in Jesus Christ to serve Christ’s mission through our words and deeds. to celebrate God’s gift of life in a changing community. to overcome barriers between people through the Holy Spirit.
These are excerpts from Weston’s History.