Parish History
Christ Church
St. Jude's
Anglican worship in Ivy began in the 1840’s with the original settlers. Ever since then, Christians have met together to worship and serve a living God.
Services were held in homes, in the log schoolhouse and in the Orange Hall. In 1863, a log church was built on the present site. A choir gallery in the east end housed the organ that was sent from Ireland, former home of many settlers. The current chancel windows were in the original building.
Itinerant preachers arriving on horseback, sleigh or cutter served many villages, including the Parish of St. Jude’s, Thornton, which had been built 10 years earlier.
The 1900's brought changes to the church building, such as a centre aisle, stained glass windows. A basement dug by hand and a team of horses with a scoop, is now used as the church hall.
St. Kevin’s, a sister church in Angus, closed its temporary building and joined Christ Church in Ivy. In the mid-1980s, St. Jude’s, Thornton closed and brought its congregation, its stained glass windows and its name to Ivy – thus the hyphenated name of Christ Church-St. Jude’s.
That friendly country atmosphere continues to be active today as we seek to live out Gods grace in our lives. We draw strength from worshipping, praying and sharing our faith together, just as the early settlers did.
There are no strangers amongst us. We accept people as they are. Come casual. Come with your questions. Come and tap into a source that has been running strong for centuries.
St. George’s may be small in size, but it is large in spirit.
The church was built in 1873 on land donated by John Jennett and under the leadership of the Rev. W. Bates. Before that, services were held at the corner of the 25th Sideroad and Concession 5 under the big willow tree, as well as in homes and at the school.
As a rural church, axle-deep mud in the spring and stormy weather in the winter have occasionally cancelled services in the early years. On March 24, 1940, the minister came to service on snowshoes.
In 1998, St. George’s celebrated its 125th anniversary with the installation of a baptismal stained glass window. It was given in tribute to the people who laid the foundation of the church and those who have faithfully continued to worship here.
In 1914, the first St. George’s Strawberry Supper was held, a much-anticipated annual event ever since. The forerunner of the ACW (Anglican Church Women) started in 1919. Continuing in that tradition, the ladies still hold fundraising events such as catering and the annual bazaar.