The McDonald Memorial Baptist Church
10802 93rd Street
1912
The Syndicate Avenue Baptist Church formed on August 9th, 1907. Led by Student Pastor C. McCaul and supported by the parishioners of First Baptist Church, the fledgling congregation was made up of thirty-two individuals at its inception. Among those who gave their names to be included on the charter roll of membership included W.H. Reed, a well-known china merchant, and W.R. Bottom, then-secretary treasurer for Revillon Brothers Limited.
While the Baptist Board provided the group a plot of land in Edmonton’s east-end free-of-charge, the Syndicalists were, for some time, buildingless. Reverend Herbert S. Sneyd recalled:
“Worshipping in a tent during the winter months may be something of a novelty to our Eastern friends but, as is so often said, necessity is the Mother of Invention and, finding it impossible to secure a suitable building for the winter, the church had to resort to the popular mode of living in this province and go tenting… fortunately we have been favored [sic] with a mild winter… The tent is comfortable but it is too small, accommodating only about 150 people. Our congregations are increasing and the Sunday School has doubled in the past two months.”
General membership doubled within the congregation’s first year, and in 1909 they erected a small wood-frame dwelling for use as a temporary gathering spot. Growth within Edmonton’s McCauley district only emboldened the parish’s numbers, however, and by late-1911 the group was actively preparing plans for the raising of a dedicated church-building. The following year, with $25,000 secured in loans, they purchased a corner lot at the intersection of Picard Street and Ottawa Avenue and set to work.
As construction commenced that spring, talks of a name-change swept through the church’s ranks. The recent passing of Alexander McDonald, an influential Baptist preacher, was the catalyst for these discussions. A traveling missionary, McDonald was instrumental in the founding of several Edmonton-area congregations — First Baptist and Strathcona Baptist among them — and his death had cast a long shadow over the community. Remembered both for his spirituality and generosity, the Syndicate Avenue parishioners were keen to honour his legacy. A motion to change the parish’s name to “McDonald Memorial Baptist” received overwhelming support and was soon approved in principle. The change would take effect with the completion of their new building.[1]
Three days of dedication ceremonies, beginning on Sunday, December 15th, 1912, opened the completed church. The Edmonton Bulletin described the “very auspicious circumstances,” writing:
“Rev. Dr. A.P. McDiarmid, late principal of Brandon College, preached the dedicatory sermon at eleven o’clock, his discourse, ‘The development of Life,’ being an eloquent and inspiring character. Rev. C.C. McLaurin, superintendent of missions, also took part.
At three o’clock, the Rev. F.W. Patterson, of the First Baptist Church, preached a very interesting sermon. The Rev. H.S. Sneyd and J.H. McDonald also gave an address. The latter, in honor [sic] of whose father the church was built, gave some interesting reminisces of his father’s career.”
His Honour, Lieutenant Governor George Bulyea, presided over a public meeting the following Tuesday wherein ministers from various denominations attended. The Reverend H.R. McGill of Strathcona Baptist preached an “eloquent sermon” to a packed house the night after.
Architecturally, McDonald Memorial is unequivocally one of Edmonton’s most interesting pre-war churches. Shunning the cruciform composition shared by many of its contemporaries, it instead embraces a rather atypical ‘L’ shaped plan. Here, the pews and balcony curve to envelop the pulpit, which, while responding to the constrained lot, certainly help foster a sense of spirituality by pulling the congregation in closer to the sermon.
In total, 375 seats met members of the community when the church first opened, as did a steam powered heating system, and soft, indirect lighting installed by the Burnham-Firth Company. The building lacked any integrated musical equipment until 1942, when an organ, originally used to provide soundtracks for silent films at the Empress Theatre downtown, was purchased. A grand piano acquired from the Strand Theatre, an ex-vaudeville playhouse, joined it.
As its congregation continued to expand, McDonald Memorial’s promotion of Baptist causes and developments grew in tandem. Speaker series, meant to both educate and entertain its existing members while attracting outside converts, became a common source of outreach during the 1930s. Topics varied from interpretation of scripture, to salvation, contemporary issues, and politics. Guests were common and none were more notable than the Calgary-based Baptist preacher, William Aberhart. In his multiple addresses to McDonald’s members, he proselytized his personal understanding of Major C.H. Douglas’ Social Credit Theory, which married Christian fundamentalism with sweeping monetary reform. Aberhart’s folksy character and mastery of rhetoric and allegory — which defined his beliefs as something of a spiritual crusade — attracted thousands. Speeches in places like McDonald Memorial no doubt helped his ascendance to the premiership in 1935.
During this period, McDonald Baptist exerted considerable effort towards other forms of outreach, including missionary programs. A major expression of this work was the development of new congregations, and McDonald’s parishioners successfully funded or supported the creation of no-less than four Albertan churches. Edmonton’s Delton, Zion, and Highlands Baptists, and Peace River’s Baptist parish can all trace their roots back to McCauley’s Baptist assembly. Of these, it was Highlands’ that had the most enduring impact on McDonald Memorial.
As the 1960s wore on and the demographics of McCauley shifted, McDonald’s membership slowly but surely declined. Coupled with a tenuous financial situation and an aging building, the parish, in May 1966, contacted Highlands about a potential amalgamation. They agreed on terms and the two churches merged that September. McDonald divided up its effects and formally died on Wednesday, January 18th, 1967, when it signed away the last of its assets and physical effects to Highlands Baptist, Delwood Road Baptist Church — formerly the McDonald-supported Delton Baptist — and Calgary’s Baptist Leadership Training School.
As for their old building, two Northwest Bible College students, Dennis Sutherland and Laurie Hueppelsheuser, 21 and 19 respectively, purchased it in May 1967. The two opened the “People’s Church,” a Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada-affiliated parish which targeted young, born-again Christians. Reverend P.A. Gaglardi, British Columbia’s Minister of Highways, opened and rededicated the building on May 21st. 300 were present. Sutherland left the church some years later to become a traveling preacher. Hueppelsheuser continued to foster his congregation, and in 1978 they vacated the 93rd street building for a new facility on 101st Street.
In the years since, old McDonald’s has come to house a plethora of smaller parishes. One Accord Bible Fellowship Baptist and the Ethiopia Church Edmonton currently occupy the space.
Cited Notes:
Although the congregation changed its name in 1912, it legally remained “Syndicate Avenue Baptist” until January 14th, 1934. See John Tidridge’s “Highlands Baptist Church: 1949 to 1969” for more, including a scanned copy of its paperwork.
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Sources:
“The New Baptist Church,” Edmonton Journal, August 9, 1907.
“The New Baptist Church,” Edmonton Bulletin, August 10, 1907.
“To Open McDonald Memorial Church,” Edmonton Bulletin, December 14, 1912.
“Church Services: McDonald Memorial,” Edmonton Journal, December 14, 1912.
“Rev. A.P. M’Diarmid Opens New Church,” Edmonton Bulletin, December 16, 1912.
“Locals,” Edmonton Journal, December 19, 1912.
“Around the City,” Edmonton Bulletin, December 19, 1912.
“Aberhart to Talk,” Edmonton Journal, July 4, 1934.
“Gleaned From Today’s News: Information has been received…,” Edmonton Bulletin, July 4, 1934.
“Social Credit Addresses Topics,” Edmonton Bulletin, July 25, 1934.
‘Old Timer’, “Baptist Pioneer Played Important Part In West,” Edmonton Journal, October 2, 1954.
“McDonald Baptist Marks 50th Birthday,” Edmonton Journal, September 14, 1957.
Harry Farmer, “Sunday Visit: The Story of the McDonald Memorial Baptist Church,” C.F.R.N., September 1965, via https://tidridge.github.io/churhist.pdf.
Bob Harvey, “Church for Sale: Vaudeville Piano Included,” Edmonton Journal, December 3, 1966.
“Two City Churches Merging,” Edmonton Journal, January 17, 1967.
“City Church Amalgamates,” Edmonton Journal, January 19, 1967.
Bob Harvey, “Enthusiastic Pupils Planning To Open ‘People’s Church,’” Edmonton Journal, March 18, 1967.
“Gaglardi Makes Plea For Church,” Edmonton Journal, May 23, 1967.
David May, “‘Don’t Be Afraid. I’m Following God,’” Edmonton Journal, July 29, 1978.
John Tidridge, “Highlands Baptist Church: 1949 to 1969,” Tidridge Website, October 2006, https://tidridge.github.io/churhist.pdf
