St. Columba Presbyterian Church

major changes. The gallery was removed and the auditorium lengthened twelve feet. The building was cut in half, the end or ends were moved out, and the addition placed in the centre. An impressive spire was added and a Scotch Thistle placed upon it.

In 1905 St. Columba Presbyterian Church separated from the Covehead and Stanhope Churches, which prior to that time were included in the Pastoral Charge. In 1925 St. Columba united with Mt. Stewart, Harrington and Highfield Presbyterian Churches. This Charge continued until Highfield closed in 1950 and Mt. Stewart in 1976. The membership of Mt. Stewart was transferred to St. Columba. Then in 1976 the Presbytery of Prince Edward Island amalgamated the congregation of St. Columba with the congregation of St. Mark’s in Sherwood. The Minister at that time was Rev. Cameron Bigelow. Harrington continued to have services of their own.

In 1963 the exterior of the building was painted and a new organ installed. Then in 1964, the congregation of St. Columba celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the present Church building. In 1988 another major change took place to St. Columba Church when the building was raised and a new foundation installed. Following excavation a multi-purpose room was build complete with kitchen facilities and washrooms.

Ministers of St. Columba Presbyterian Church

Rev. Donald MacDonald 1854—1857 Rev. William McLaren 1857—1861 Rev. George M. Grant 1861-1863 Rev. M. Cullen 3 months 1864 Rev. Alexander McWilliams 1864-1865 Rev. George W. Stewart 1865-1872 Rev. John Moffat 1872—1874 Rev. John Gillis 1874-1876 Mr. A.V. McLeod 1874-1876 Rev. William Scott 1876—1883 Rev. A.W. Mahon 1883-1894 Rev. W.I.D. Moss 1895-1897 Rev. Jacob Layton 1897-1901 Rev. William H. Spencer 1901-1905 Rev. John Hawley 1907-1913 Rev. R. L. Coffin 1914-1917 Rev. R. G. Sinclair 1919-1920 Rev. W. H. Sweet 1920—1922

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Rev. M. E. Genge 1930-1932 Rev. John A. Pritchard 1933-1935 Rev. John MacNeill 1936—1941 Rev. Henry P. Baak 1942—1944 Rev. F. N. Young 1946-1948 Rev. J .V. Crawford 1951-1952 Rev. L. M. MacNaughton 1953-1956 Rev. Charles Townsley 1958—1960 Mr. Hugh Lowry 1960—1966

Rev. W. H. Brown (Pulpit Supply) 1967-1970

Rev. J. Cameron Bigelow 1976-1981 Rev. Jack Chiang 1982-1989 Rev. Donald Wilkinson 1 989- 1997 Rev. Tom Hamilton 1998- Rev. Paula Hamilton 1998-

Elders beginning earlier than 1879 John Ferguson John F. Ferguson Alexander Robertson John F. MacFarlane Isaac Thompson A.A. McBeath Alexander Robertson, Jr. Earl W.G. Foster

William Gibson A. Athol MacBeath William 1. Thompson Cedric G. Ballem Alexander McBeath Talmage H. Foster Roderick Munn W. Scott MacArthur

Cecil Stetson Earl D. Foster Ian MacArthur

Henry M. McLeod Lemuel H.D. Foster William J. Gibson

Isaac Herbert Thompson

Directors of Music

Robert White 1877 — William Stewart 1881 — Ethel Robertson 1902 - John T. Ferguson Mary B. Thompson 1903 — Mrs. J .T. Ferguson 1907 - Florence Scott 1912 - John McFarlane Dorothy McFarlane 1934 (53 years) Marguerite Terrell assistant Myra Scott 1988 - The Ladies’ Groups

The ladies of St. Columba Church organized their Missionary Society group in 1899 with Mrs. L.H.D. Foster as President and Mrs. R.J.Munn as Secretary Treasurer. Mrs. Foster was President until 1954 and Honorary President until her death in 1967.