A Word of Welcome...
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Welcome to the website of McPhail Memorial Baptist Church. We are an historic church celebrating 135 years of mission and service in 2023. But while we are grateful for our past, we also seek to be freshly relevant for today’s times. We combine a traditional worship style with a progressive, contemporary approach to sermons.
The preaching at McPhail aims to deepen our sense of life. Through the medium of imagination and symbol, the biblical authors wrestled with existential truths. Because this was their medium, we resist literalism. The sermons at McPhail focus on truths that lay under the biblical images and symbols and are universally discoverable through human experience.
An essential part of the ethos of McPhail is liberty, the freedom of each individual to intuit reality in their own unique way. We respect the personal quest for truth and count the diversity of life and thought among our congregation one of its greatest strengths. We say, with Paul the Apostle, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2Cor 3:17)
We are a diverse group of people, an intergenerational church, a church that has a friendly, family-like feel to it, where people care for each other, where people are more important than programs.
The people of McPhail Memorial Baptist Church will warmly welcome you!
Our History
"Baptists" emerged during the Protestant Reformation as believers began re-emphasizing biblical principles such as believers' baptism by immersion (rather than infant baptism by sprinkling or pouring).
Throughout Canadian history, Baptists have been active in sharing a message of hope, planting churches, and providing practical social justice ministries. Furthermore, Canadian Baptists have actively supported overseas missions for almost 200 years. As a family, we support missionaries in 15 countries, overseas relief and development projects, publishing, youth work, and public affairs initiatives.
The Canadian Baptist family includes Baptists in all regions of the country, which combined represent a federation of churches under the organization of Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM). More than 130,000 people in approximately 1,100 churches hold worship services from Port Alberni, BC to St. John's NF and from Yellowknife, NT to Windsor, ON. On any given Sunday, services may be conducted in over 30 different languages!
Nationally, the Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) supports four seminaries, one Liberal Arts university, two lay leadership development programs, and dozens of camps and specialized ministries. Internationally, Canadian Baptists are part of a larger family, as they are members of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA). Through the BWA, more than 42 million Baptists around the world share their faith, vision and ministries.
The History of McPhail Memorial Baptist Church
On November 1, 1886, a Sunday school was started in an abandoned stable known as Fisher Hall, About one year later, the Young Men's Mission Association of the First Church led the Maria Street Church to procure a lot on Bronson Avenue and erect a hall thereon, with a seating capacity of about 200.
For the first few years, students under the auspice of the Home Mission Board led the work of the ministry. However, in 1891, a call was sent to the Rev. W.T. Graham. Rev. Graham's ministry was short, but he was the first settled pastor and under him the foundation was well and truly laid.
Rev. A.N. Firth was the next minister and commenced his pastorate on September 4, 1892. During his ministry, the present church building was begun and in less than eighteen months from the time he took charge, it was completed. When the new church was opened, it was given the name it now bears, McPhail Memorial Baptist Church, in memory of the late Rev. Daniel McPhail.
Reverend Daniel McPhail
Daniel McPhail was born in Scotland, but he was raised in Quebec where his father preached the gospel in the town of Chatham. In 1838, at the age of 27, Daniel McPhail graduated from Madison University in Hamilton, New York.
Early in 1839, the young missionary came to the township of Osgoode (south of Ottawa) and began his work. People were converted; some were baptized and hundreds were influenced to the good. Shortly thereafter, a need for a church was realized and on July 14, 1839, a Baptist church was founded with 45 people as its first members. In 1840, McPhail was ordained as its minister and entered the pastorate for 24 years.
The church at Osgoode was the base from which he worked the surrounding country. Entirely forgetful of self, he toiled year in and year out for the glory of God and the good of others. Churches were founded by him at South Gower, Winchester, Kenmore and Ormond. Ormond was the last of the churches that he helped to found, and as it was not far from Osgoode, he assumed its pastoral oversight.
During his 24 years as pastor, great numbers of people were converted and he personally baptized more than a thousand of them. In September 1865, he accepted the call to Ottawa, and became the pastor of First Baptist Church (whose congregation was instrumental in establishing the congregation that would later become McPhail Memorial Baptist Church. After five years in Ottawa, Rev. McPhail felt called to leave pastoral ministry to do itinerant evangelism. He continued his work of church planting and evangelism, becoming known as "The Elijah of the Ottawa Valley".
On January 8, 1871, he was dispensing the sacrament of communion in the church at Winchester and in the midst of the service was stricken with a paralytic stroke. For three years his affliction was patiently borne and on August 23, 1875, he passed on to his glorious reward.
Throughout Canadian history, Baptists have been active in sharing a message of hope, planting churches, and providing practical social justice ministries. Furthermore, Canadian Baptists have actively supported overseas missions for almost 200 years. As a family, we support missionaries in 15 countries, overseas relief and development projects, publishing, youth work, and public affairs initiatives.
The Canadian Baptist family includes Baptists in all regions of the country, which combined represent a federation of churches under the organization of Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM). More than 130,000 people in approximately 1,100 churches hold worship services from Port Alberni, BC to St. John's NF and from Yellowknife, NT to Windsor, ON. On any given Sunday, services may be conducted in over 30 different languages!
Nationally, the Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM) supports four seminaries, one Liberal Arts university, two lay leadership development programs, and dozens of camps and specialized ministries. Internationally, Canadian Baptists are part of a larger family, as they are members of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA). Through the BWA, more than 42 million Baptists around the world share their faith, vision and ministries.
The History of McPhail Memorial Baptist Church
On November 1, 1886, a Sunday school was started in an abandoned stable known as Fisher Hall, About one year later, the Young Men's Mission Association of the First Church led the Maria Street Church to procure a lot on Bronson Avenue and erect a hall thereon, with a seating capacity of about 200.
For the first few years, students under the auspice of the Home Mission Board led the work of the ministry. However, in 1891, a call was sent to the Rev. W.T. Graham. Rev. Graham's ministry was short, but he was the first settled pastor and under him the foundation was well and truly laid.
Rev. A.N. Firth was the next minister and commenced his pastorate on September 4, 1892. During his ministry, the present church building was begun and in less than eighteen months from the time he took charge, it was completed. When the new church was opened, it was given the name it now bears, McPhail Memorial Baptist Church, in memory of the late Rev. Daniel McPhail.
Reverend Daniel McPhail
Daniel McPhail was born in Scotland, but he was raised in Quebec where his father preached the gospel in the town of Chatham. In 1838, at the age of 27, Daniel McPhail graduated from Madison University in Hamilton, New York.
Early in 1839, the young missionary came to the township of Osgoode (south of Ottawa) and began his work. People were converted; some were baptized and hundreds were influenced to the good. Shortly thereafter, a need for a church was realized and on July 14, 1839, a Baptist church was founded with 45 people as its first members. In 1840, McPhail was ordained as its minister and entered the pastorate for 24 years.
The church at Osgoode was the base from which he worked the surrounding country. Entirely forgetful of self, he toiled year in and year out for the glory of God and the good of others. Churches were founded by him at South Gower, Winchester, Kenmore and Ormond. Ormond was the last of the churches that he helped to found, and as it was not far from Osgoode, he assumed its pastoral oversight.
During his 24 years as pastor, great numbers of people were converted and he personally baptized more than a thousand of them. In September 1865, he accepted the call to Ottawa, and became the pastor of First Baptist Church (whose congregation was instrumental in establishing the congregation that would later become McPhail Memorial Baptist Church. After five years in Ottawa, Rev. McPhail felt called to leave pastoral ministry to do itinerant evangelism. He continued his work of church planting and evangelism, becoming known as "The Elijah of the Ottawa Valley".
On January 8, 1871, he was dispensing the sacrament of communion in the church at Winchester and in the midst of the service was stricken with a paralytic stroke. For three years his affliction was patiently borne and on August 23, 1875, he passed on to his glorious reward.
Accessibility
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McPhail is a fully accessible church. Several years of fundraising made it possible to install the lift in 2012. Those with mobility issues can easily access both the upper sanctuary where services are held, as well as the lower hall where the congregation gathers for coffee and fellowship following Sunday services.
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