window, donated by his wife and son Allison. It was situated directly above the baptistry, at the front of the church. For the opening service, the organist and choir director was Mrs. V. Leigh 'Pearl' Dingwell.

It would be a week of celebration and daily dedications; on Sunday evening the pulpit Bible was dedicated (Rev. Harold Mitton) and on Monday, gifts and memorials (Ed Nicholson, Memorial Committee Chairman). Tuesday’s dedication was to the community (Pastor Keith Hobson, Summerside), Wednesday’s was to the youth (Rev. Ross Howard, O’Leary), Thursday’s to the denomination (Rev. Harry Renfree, Maritime United Baptist Convention) and Friday’s to evangelism and missions (Rev. Abner Langley,

DeaconM. Clark Moncton). On Sunday, wrapping up the

AHistaricaI Update memorable week, Dr. Watson Kirkconnell, president of Acadia University, spoke in the morning on the church’s relationship with institutions of learning. In the evening, it was Pastor Mitton’s brother who spoke. Rev. Donald A. Mitton was principal of the United Baptist Training School in Moncton.

One of the features of the opening ceremonies was an interesting 16 page condensed history of the Charlottetown Baptist Church, prepared by lifetime deacon, Dr. J. Artemas Clark, the longest serving member of the church. It was very well done, with photos of many of the pastors, going back to Rev. Benjamin Scott, the first minister in 1836. The first half of Dr. Clark's summary was a parallel of the history done by Alfred Sterns in 1904 but the balance he had personally experienced. Dr. Clark’s effort is now a treasured memory of the church opening in 1959. Among the many gifts, windows and memorials moved to the new building was the old Casavant pipe organ, completely rebuilt and enlarged to suit the new sanctuary. A memorial plate was placed on the organ as a grateful reminder of the men and women of the congregation who served and sacrificed in World War I, World War II and the Korean conflict.

The big sign on the side of the new building read simply, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. It was a modern, attractive building in keeping with the new image of a church. The structure was 109’ long and 90’ wide, constructed of steel and concrete, with a wooden roof. Seating capacity in the main sanctuary, balcony and chapel was 630. The chapel, situated beside and part of the main sanctuary, was a fully functional worship centre in itself, with its own electronic organ, the 1904 pulpit, chairs and communion table from the old church. The new building had everything the old one lacked; space and lots of classrooms. For the Board of Management, it was a dream come true and for the members, a source of great pride. The cost 1’0r the new church was just under $200,000. To cover it, there were congregational pledges amounting to over $90,000, a mortgage for $60,700 and a bank loan for the balance. The budget was arranged so that the mortgage would hopefully be paid off in 1965. The sale ofthe old church and property was yet to be negotiated, so the

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