Loading Events

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

CANCELLED: A Stroll through Time, North Mosa

February 9 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Feb 9, 2025 PERFORMANCE IS CANCELLED!!

DUE TO EXTREMELY ICY AND DANGEROUS CONDITIONS IN THE PARKING LOT.

THE STORIES WILL BE TOLD ANOTHER DAY.

Go to the Burns Mosa Presbyterian Church facebook Group for updates by Ruth Ann McVicar and the Burns church leaders.   We will also update this page as new information becomes available.


Stroll through Time – Celebrating 190 years of Burns Presbyterian Church, Mosa.  This story telling event is cancelled until a later date.

Join us as we share stories about the Kilmartin community who established Burns Presbyterian Church in the hills of North Mosa.  


The Old Log Church was replaced with the first “Brick” church but it was eventually replaced by the existing church in 1891 when it encountered structural difficulties after a heavy slate roof was added.

 

The history of Burns’ Presbyterian Church

Burns Church  has deep roots in the traditions and values brought over by Scottish immigrants. Many of the pioneers who established the church originated from the Highlands of Scotland, particularly from Argyleshire. Their strong sense of faith and resilience, hallmarks of Highland character, guided them through the challenges of settling in Canada West in the early 19th century. These Scottish settlers arrived in the townships of Mosa, Metcalfe, Ekfrid, and Brooke, at a time when the land was still largely an unbroken forest. Despite the physical hardships of pioneer life, they carried with them a strong Presbyterian faith, holding regular meetings for prayer and worship, often in their homes or in the forests, before the establishment of a formal church.

 

By 1835-36, the community had built its first log church on what is now Kilmartin Cemetery grounds in Metcalfe Township. Though the church was incomplete and lacked doors, windows, or a roof, it became a place for gathering and worship. Despite the harsh conditions, the congregation remained devoted, listening to sermons on cold winter days while seated on rough wooden sleepers. As years passed, clergy such as Rev. Alexander Ross and Rev. Donald McKenzie occasionally visited, providing spiritual guidance and conducting services. These visits were cherished, and many traveled long distances through forests and swamps to participate, highlighting the central role religion played in the lives of the settlers.

 

In 1842, Rev. Duncan McMillan visited the area to perform baptisms and organize prayer meetings. It wasn’t until 1844 that the Mosa congregation was formally organized by the Presbytery of Hamilton. For several years, the congregation shared clergy with nearby Knox Church in Ekfrid. Services were initially held in barns and homes, notably the McLauchlin family barn, before another log church, known as “The Old Log Church,” was built around 1844.

 

Rev. Wm. R. Sutherland was ordained as the first permanent pastor in 1848, and the church flourished. He frequently traveled throughout the region to communities like Wardsville and Euphemia, to preach, marry couples, and baptize children. He travelled by horseback or on foot in all weather conditions.  

The fourth building – Burns Presbyterian Church Mosa. Opened in 1891.

Details

Date:
February 9
Time:
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Event Tags:
, , , ,

Organizer

Burns Presbyterian Church community

Venue

Burns Presbyterian Church – Mosa
24493 Dundonald Rd
Glencoe, Ontario N0L 1M0 Canada
+ Google Map