St. James Anglican Church
St. James is a parish of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara, part of the Anglican Church of Canada. Its worship is centred on the weekly Sunday Eucharist, with a midweek prayer service and a monthly contemplative Taizé service.
The parish of St. James the Apostle is the Anglican congregation in Fergus. The Wellington County Museum and Archives holds a 75th-anniversary pamphlet for St. James (Fergus) and St. John the Evangelist (Elora) covering 1839 to 1933, and a booklet marking the parish’s 150 years produced around 2008. Parish registers begin with baptisms in 1867 and marriages in 1868.
According to the Diocese of Niagara archives at McMaster University, the first St. James church was erected in Fergus in 1867 and replaced by a new building in 1895. In 1945 the parish decided to sell that property, and the church was deconsecrated in July of that year; while a new church was built, the congregation worshipped in the church hall of Melville United. The present church, on a different site, opened for services in July 1948. The county archives also hold stained-glass window and altar designs for the church by Gordon Couling from 1947 and 1980.
Today St. James sits on Queen Street East along the Grand River. The rector is the Reverend Russell Wardell. The parish rents its community hall and gardens for events, and keeps a Butterfly Garden of butterfly-friendly plants behind the church that is open to the public. Worship is in English.
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This entry has not been verified with the congregation yet. Sources: stjamesfergus.ca, centrewellington.ca, library.mcmaster.ca, wcma.pastperfectonline.com, facebook.com. Something wrong? Suggest an edit.