Two groups made attempts in Montreal, afterwards uniting, and some success together was achieved. No "Church of Christ" exists there today. The harmony attained points a way and the story is worth pondering.

      Twentieth Century: Montreal, (North End and East End groups). [378]

      The first note of awakening appeared in the Montreal Daily Witness of Dec. 1, 1893, notifying Disciples of a meeting to consider organization, to be held at the home of Bro. Patterson, 694 Sherbrooke St. The St. John, N.B. Christian, of June, 1902 notes that W. R. McEwen (of West Gore, N.S.) had reported a group, numbering 21, had begun to meet during the Fall of 1901 to observe the Lord's Table, and that a Sunday School had been formed with thirty-five members. In the Spring of 1902 the group first met in a hall on May 4, there being sixteen to commence, with five absent. In June, 1903, at Toronto, the convention voted $200 as aid to the group, and F. C. Ford of Nova Scotia was later employed as chief worker. Organization was planned from the first. On Feb. 10, 1903, the congregation voted unanimously to organize as a church, as follows:

      "We, the undersigned, immersed believers in Christ as the divine Son of God, being desirous of establishing a church in the city of Montreal whose aim will be to exalt Christ above party and His word above all human creeds--and to build up a Church of Christ without denominational name or other barriers to Christian union--do hereby band ourselves together, taking the word of God as the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, the said church to be known as a church of Christ and the individual members as Disciples of Christ, or by any other scriptural name whereby our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is honored. We pray the blessing of God upon this work which we now undertake in His name."

      The following are the charter members: F. C. Ford, W. R. McEwen, Mrs. Evelyn McEwen, Amasa Feathers; Mrs. Harriet Feathers, Mrs. Josephine Patterson, Noel E. Powers, Geo. E. Wallace, Mrs. Laura A. Wallace, F. W. Stevens, Mrs. Libbie Stevens, H. L. Wallace, Mrs. H. Alberta Wallace, J. M. Petermann, Mrs. Margaret Petermann, A. B. Wallace, N. A. Wallace, Geo. McKiel, Mrs. Geo. A. Wayland, Mrs. W. C. Gates, W. H. Robinson, Mrs. A. Steel. The following brethren were chosen as officers: elders, brethren F. C. Ford and W. R. McEwen; deacons, brethren W. H. Robinson, J. M. Petermann; secretary, H. L. Wallace; treasurer, F. W. Stevens. (While the large majority of the foregoing were from the Maritime provinces, there were a few from Ontario, the U.S.A. and Great Britain.)

      The accession of P. L. Pratley from England in March, 1906, became an important factor in the congregation's history. Records reveal his election to the office of secretary-treasurer, on 16 Sept., 1906. On Nov. 25, [379] 1906, brother W. Webster was elected to the eldership in succession to W. S. Houchins, who had been called to serve as minister in 1904 and now wished to be relieved of the double duty. Bro. Houchins, although a Kentuckian, had ministered mostly in Australia and New Zealand.

      In January, 1907, a committee was appointed to the task of buying a lot and building and equipping a meeting-house; but to date this has not been accomplished, owing to the magnitude of the task for so small a group. However, as time went on, a serious blow to the general progress of the work, as well as to building prospects, was the sudden loss of their meeting place, owing to operation of forces beyond their control. When Castle Hall had to be abandoned in the spring of 1907, a division of opinion as to the next most appropriate place resulted in the setting up of two meetings--a new one in the North end, and one remaining in the East end. Such an event always has unfortunate results in that the spirit of unity is obliged to wait upon practical ideas, which always impress the average mind too deeply. As time passed, it became evident that the divided congregation could not make effectual their spiritual calling, nor could they successfully ask for the support of co-operative agencies, which plan lay always behind the first aim of organization. In February, 1905, Bro. McEwen reported that the American board and the Ontario board were meeting about one-half their expenses, and that the aid was insufficient. In 1908, the Ontario Board of Co-operation gave $300, though the annual gift was placed at less, and the American Christian Missionary Society report their total givings (special report by the U.C.M.S., June 30, 1939) as $1,584.50 in nine years, from 1903. Bro. Pratley informs me that from April, 1908, board support went entirely to the North end congregation. However, Bro. Houchins resigned, in April, 1908.

      The North end then were given the assistance of Bro. R. W. Stevenson, of Toronto, who as the board's evangelist spent the month of October, 1907, in an effort to promote the mission. A hall was used on Lord's days and on but one night during a week. But such was the hope of the group that they bought a lot and re-opened the fund set aside for building. This fund grew to $1,412 by 1917, when it was deposited with the American Christian Missionary Society. The spirit of co-operation and missions was strong in the group and at certain times they made offerings to the funds, by way of evincing their loyalty. A great hope for a time lay in the growing Sunday School, but the lack of a meeting-house has always cramped the work in this department. The School itself disappeared by 1911. [380] This reverse, disappointing if it had occurred anywhere in Canada, seems to the outsider to indicate that the conservative city of Montreal was not to be easily won. The divided racial make-up and the strong R.C. population have to be taken into account. By no such inadequate means would such an attempt be made today. But the effort continued, after some months of waiting for another minister, who came in the person of Geo. H. Beaman. He had previously been in the Baptist ministry and had latterly served the East Point, P.E.I., Christian-and-Baptist congregations co-operatively. He reports his coming in the January (1910) Christian in a very optimistic manner, and indicates that he had come into the "Christian" position and thus fully in harmony. At this time the building fund was potentially over $1,100. Bro. Beaman gave credit to the long leadership of Bro. McEwen. There and in the Maritimes, and also to that of L. A. Miles. (Bro. Miles was a tower of strength and his departure for Halifax in 1910 was a severe loss, but he was very serviceable to the cause there.) The North end group was then meeting in the Y.M.C.A. hall on Fairmount Avenue, near the corner of Jeanne Mancoe St. where they continued after the re-union until approximately the outbreak of the 1914-18 war. Bro. Beaman's ministry came to an end in May, 1911, but previous to his departure he anticipated in the movement towards re-uniting the two small congregations. He had maintained a personal friendship with Bro. P. L. Pratley, ever since his call to the work in Montreal, and co-operated closely in the efforts to preserve the essential unity of the two meetings, separated by circumstances and distance, but not in faith and practice. Interchange of speakers was kept up, and when the North end meeting embarked on a two week's mission, in March, 1911, under the leadership of John T. Brown, of Louisville, Ky. the East end mission was invited to assist. Another small but nevertheless real indication of the growing tendency toward re-union, lay in the fact that Bro. P. L. Pratley, of the East end congregation, preached at the farewell service for Bro. Beaman on May 7, 1911.

      The failure of the John T. Brown meeting to add anyone to the congregations may seem to some an indication of how the city of Montreal is "islanded" and that an importation of like-minded members must be the foundation of a beginning that will result in a continued witnessing and fellowship.

      The East end meeting, which had adopted the "mutual ministry" plan (under which they were self-sustaining), were equally missionary-minded with the North end, and contributed toward the support of independent [381] missions. The movement of families away from Montreal left the North end group also predominantly 'old country' by 1911, and when the fusion came in June of that year, (immediately after Bro. Beaman's return to N.B.) the re-united congregations adhered by unanimous resolution to the mutual plan of service. The plan was well developed during the next few years, under the direction of the elders, (brethren Webster and Robinson, both English) with brethren Clynick, Stewart and Pratley as deacons (two English and one Scottish). From the union there sprang continued growth in numbers and influence. By time of the outbreak of the first Great War in 1914, there were as many as 22 brethren on the "Plan" of a month's ministry, as drawn up and approved. Young men were trained in reading and speaking, Bible School work was encouraging, and the fellowship was said to be truly joyous. But the preponderance of British brethren in the congregation, as they responded to the call of Empire defense, served drastically to reduce the total membership. By the end of 1918, enlistments had brought the male membership down to ten and the total membership to less than 20. The "mutual ministry" plan permits the engagement of preaching brethren for terms brief or long, extending even to pastoral work. H. McKerlie came for six months in 1932; R. S. Hollister, for four months in 1940. Neil Herman and E. G. Hansell, M.P., have engaged in the work of preaching in this way.

      But one of the most outstanding facts in Montreal's history remains to be stated, and that is since 1908, responsibility for the work, for teaching and preaching, has lain upon Mr. P. L. Pratley (now Dr. P. L. Pratley). Amongst many 'conservative' groups he is well-known across Canada. Continuing the story, in 1922 the Y.W.C.A., in whose rooms the meetings were held, closed out their branch on Park Avenue and for a time the congregation resorted to the practice of spreading the Table in the members' homes. In 1927, a family from Regina came to Montreal; and with the advent of others from Scotland, in time it was again possible to rent a Hall and resume Sunday School work. A hall in the growing suburb of Verdun (that of the Canadian Legion) provided a satisfactory meeting place and there the congregation met. The officers at resumption of unity have all passed on, as have most of the charter members. Many of them are known in Toronto branches, the Petermann's, Wallaces, McKiel, though Mrs. Harris L. Wallace, of Toronto, is probably the only survivor. (1947). [382]

      The East end congregation has been able to magnify its Bible school work, which is so necessary to growth and acceptance by a community. Its work here has been its major one, and in this it with others, has had to battle against such things as "depressions" and now a second world war, since 1939 to 1945, and now happily, it is hoped, drawing to a close. Two brethren have been outstanding in this--Bro. Jardine McKerlie, who got the peak enrolment of school in his time, and J. R. Thompson, both of them from Toronto. Words of praise are due also to Miss Hazel Goatcher, secretary of the school and 'right hand man' to Bro. Pratley. The school has also joined in the practice of sending its young folks to summer camps. Another 'missionary' item is that for more than A twelve month (1934-5) Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Menzies, of the U.C.M.S. mission to India, were within the fellowship of the Montreal brethren.

      The foregoing has been drawn from official sources mostly, and from the pages of invaluable periodicals, and some from a memory that retains a hope that at some time in this great city of Montreal there will be a resumption of the work of our Brotherhood that will invite the widest sort of co-operation. The funds which the co-operating brethren raised for a building were transferred by L. A. Miles (trustee of the group) to the American Christian Missionary Society, on the date of July 24, 1917, the amount then being $1,412. It was specified that they were for the purpose of sometime aiding in the erection of a house of worship in the city of Montreal. At the time of the transfer another of two trustees had died and Bro. Miles decided that the American Society should be entrusted with the fund. Bro. L. A. Miles (of Halifax) died on July 26, 1933. In a letter dated February 27, 1945, C. W. Plopper, treasurer of the United Christian Missionary Society, stated that the trust was handed over by the American Christian Missionary Society to the United Christian Missionary Society on the formation of the latter, a successor of the former Society. Bro. Plopper states that at date of writing the original fund now amounts to $4,790.71 and it is being held for the some time satisfaction of the desire of brethren (mostly from the Maritime Provinces) to erect a building in Montreal. (Later advice to the foregoing, is that an organized work has been abandoned.)

[DCC 378-383]