l8. CHURCH UNION BROUGHT LITTLE CHANGE IN 1925 TO NOW ALBERTON — ELMSDALE PASTORAL CHARGE

The consummation of Church Union in 1925 brought about little change in most of the congregations which now form Alberton - Elmsdale Pastoral Charge

of the United Church of Canada.

The present Pastoral Charge came into being in 1969 by an amalgamation of two pastoral charges composed of seven congregations.

ALBERTON —- Only in Alberton were there both Methodist and Presbyterian churches in 1925 and only in Alberton was there a group of Presbyterians who did not wish to enter the union. The Presbyterian congregation had been organiz- ed in 1831 and some thirty years later a Methodist Society was formed. Always between the two there had been a spirit of good fellowship with Christian

brotherhood.

Following June 10, 1925 the two congregations commenced a gradual coming together under the leadership of their ministers, Rev. Henry A. Brown of the Methodist Church and Rev. George A. Christie of the Presbyterian Church. Even before this date joint prayer meetings were being held each Wednesday

evening.

In those first days great care was taken to make sure that honours and duties were equally shared by former Methodists and former Presbyterians but such procedure was soon forgotten.

The first elders elected, M.R. Leard, M.A. MacNeill, L.B. Leard, W.R. Oulton, George Gard and ED. Barbour, were inducted in November.

The first stewards were J.C. Hunter, Alexander Leard, William A. MacAr- thur, Carl H. Weeks, Herbert Clark and Charles Lewis.

In January, 1926 the church membership rolls were combined and in March the first official board meeting was held.

One of the first matters to be settled was that of church property. After some little time, it was arranged that the former Presbyterian Church and the former Methodist parsonage would be used by the United Church congregation and that the former Methodist Church and the former Presbyterian manse should go to those Presbyterians who did not become part of the United Church.

Eventually, the Methodist Church was moved a short distance eastward to become known as the Presbyterian Church and the large “Old Dock” Presbyterian Church was moved from its original site to the Methodist lot to become the church home of the United Church congregation.

Rev. H.A. Brown and Rev. G.A. Christie left Alberton at the end of June, 1926. At the beginning of July, Rev. J.R. Millar became minister of Alberton Pastoral Charge which was comprised of three congregations, Alberton, Cascumpec and Tignish.

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