Presbyterianism in Summerside 1853—2003 
     
    
   
   
    
     their church on North Market Street and the Method— 
     
     ists resumed services in their church (renamed Trinity 
     
     United) on the southwest corner of Winter and Spring 
     
     Streets. It had been erected by Schurman, Clark and 
     
     Company during 1893-1894. 
     
    

    
     Though badly shaken by Church Union, 
     
     Summerside Presbyterian Church survived the impact 
     
     of major membership loss. By 1929 a total of 101 new 
     
     communicants had joined since 1925, although the 
     
     congregation had been further reduced by death, mi- 
     
     gration, and absence to 125 families and 229 commu- 
     
     nicants. 
     
    

    
     Church spirit during these difficult times remained 
     
     positive and the congregation was not exclusively 
     
     caught up in the controversy over Church Union. Sev- 
     
     eral members of the congregation wiled away the win- 
     
     ter months playing on the church-sponsored Presbyte- 
     
     rian Church Hockey Team which formed part of the Y. 
     
     M. C. A. League in 1925-1926. They were the League 
     
     winners. 
     
    

    
     Between 1928 and 1934 Summerside Presbyte— 
     
     rian Church attracted ninety new members to the con- 
     
     gregation. In the latter year Rev. Mr. St. Clair Jeans 
     
     left the congregation. He was succeeded by Rev. Walter 
     
     McCleary in 1935. In the midst of the Great Depres— 
     
     sion, from 1936 to 1939, the congregation dwindled in 
     
     size from 247 members to 193 members. After a brief 
     
     ministry Rev. Mr. McCleary was succeeded by Rev. 
     
     William Verwolf in 1937. During the last year of Rev. 
     
     Mr. Verwolf’s incumbency the eightieth anniversary of 
     
     the building of the church was commemorated in 1942. 
     
     His final act as minister was to conduct the 80th Anni- 
     
    
   
   
    
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