Until 2000 and the retirement of the Rector of the Parish of Lakefield-Milles-Isles, St. John’s Shrewsbury was a functioning congregation with a small but supportive congregation. However this congregation was no longer local; it was composed of members or descendants of families which had lived in Shrewsbury for generations but had by 1999 moved away, to Lachute or Montreal or Ottawa.
In the year 2000, with the formation of the Greater Parish of St. Andrew, St. John’s came under the care and stewardship of Holy Trinity, Lakefield. Over the period of trusteeship, the number of services per year has declined. Consequently, there is now only one annual service at St. John’s, the minimum number needed to keep the church open.
Buildings
The current stone church was built in 1859 and renovated substantially in 1935. The Church sits beside Lake Dawson, around which is built the village of Lakefield.
The Church can easily hold 80 parishioners in the pews and at a stretch has held over 100 using the bench seats around the outside of the church. The Church is equipped with a furnace room, a small vestry and is in good physical condition. It is a dominant building in the village, with its red roof clearly visible from Route 329, the main road from Lachute to Morin Heights. Beside the church is a cemetery which is as old as the church itself.
The present Church Hall is a wooden building with a full kitchen. It is used for church and community occasions such as social time after services, fundraising events, political events, Lake Association meetings and other community gatherings. The Hall is in reasonable condition but will need capital expenditure to improve the water supply and insulation.
A Brief History
The first service in Lakefield was probably held by Rev. Joseph Abbott, travelling as a missionary from St. Andrews in 1820. The first minister (Rev. William Arnold) was appointed in 1838 and he had built the first church, of wooden logs, that same year. This was the true establishment of the physical church.
The Congregation of Holy Trinity has been in decline for many years but has known some very good days over its 185 years! The ups and downs of the Congregation can be read in the book, "Chronicles of a Country Church" compiled and edited in 1985 by Louise Johnson. Two ministers have marked the church more than the others. Rev. Alan Mount served as Priest for sixteen years over five separate periods starting in 1895 and ending with his death in 1935. Rev. Cyrus Baugh was Priest from 1935 to 1966! The families of both still have connections with the church.
The current Parish List somewhat optimistically contains 118 names! This is a compendium of those who are active, those who were once active and are still alive, and those who can be counted upon to contribute to the annual request for money for the Endowment and Development Fund. The actual active members who can be depended upon to attend most services can be counted on one hand – perhaps two!
Vision for the Future
Holy Trinity, with St. John’s (please refer to St. John’s profile) is at an intersection. It cannot go back as the road behind no longer exists – a return to the past is not viable as the former members of the congregation are just not around or not interested. The church is not at a crossroads because going straight ahead is not viable either. More of the same is a dead end. The congregation is essentially composed of the five members of the Corporation, two whom will probably retire in 2006. The rest are tired. So straight ahead will lead to closing in a year or two as the Corporation’s members dwindle to no-one. So this is an intersection – Holy Trinity must turn left or right.
Turning one way is to seek renewal. This means finding a new vocation for the church. This means new Corporation members, new congregation, probably new forms of worship and music, and new outreach into the community. If this is successful, the financial side of the church will look after itself.
Turning the other way is closure. Although there is a small number of active members who are opposed to this approach, the church could disband or hold one service per year, effectively going into year-round hibernation. Some active members would feel a sense of relief, of a burden lifted.
At this stage, there is no single view of the future, no vision supported by a consensus. The creation of this vision and a pro-active drive towards it are probably Holy Trinity’s single largest priority for working with a new Priest.
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