WWI Trilogy

Navigating the Heartache WWI Brings

St. Andrew’s

A Family Church: St. Andrew’s, Barrie

April 26, 2016 By Melina Druga Off

The Steward family’s church in Angel of Mercy is St. Andrew’s in Barrie, Ontario. Why St. Andrew’s? The church is Presbyterian, which kept with the family’s Scottish roots.  I also used it because Presbyterian was a very large denomination at the turn of the 20th century.

History of St. Andrew’s

St. Andrew’s began in 1843. It was referred to as Barrie Presbyterian until 1898, but the name St. Andrew’s didn’t come into common use until the 1920s.

The church moved to its present location in Barrie in 1880 and held its first church service in 1883.

In the 1920s, a Sunday school annex was built as a memorial to those who died during World War I.

The church is part of the Presbyterian Church of Canada.

The Presbyterian Church

Don’t know much about Presbyterianism? Here is a short primer.

The Presbyterian church is a Protestant church with its origins in the United Kingdom, in particular Scotland. It was founded during the Protestant Reformation.

What makes the Presbyterians different from other Christian denominations?

  • They focus on lifelong learning of the scriptures and church doctrines.
  • The pastor is known as the teaching elder or the minister of the word.
  • Congregations are ruled by a council of elders (presbyters) elected by the rest of the congregation.
  • Groups of presbyters make synods, and groups of synods comprise the general assembly. These groups dictate church practices.
  • They confess their faith, but scriptures are open to interpretation.
  • Church services can vary from evangelical to informal, depending on location and the congregation.
  • There are two sacraments: Baptism and Communion.
  • Until about 120 years ago, church buildings were referred to as meeting houses. The word church referred to the congregation.

Famous Presbyterians include astronaut Buzz Aldrin, actor Ralph Waite, children’s TV host Fred Rogers and U.S. President Andrew Jackson.

Where to Purchase the WWI Trilogy

This post is a companion piece to Melina Druga’s WWI Trilogy: Angel of Mercy, Those Left Behind and Adjustment Year.  The trilogy focuses on Hettie and her family as they navigate the challenges and heartbreak World War I brings.

Angel of Mercy:  A nurse reluctantly sacrifices her career for marriage. An impending war will change her, and her husband’s, life forever.  Available in eBook, paperback and hardcover.  Click here for a full list of retailers.

Those Left Behind:  The brewing winds of war will soon rip the family apart. Available in eBook, paperback and hardcover.  Click here for a full list of retailers.

Adjustment Year:  A war nurse returns home. Society expects her to carry on as if the Great War never happened. But how can she?  Available in eBook, paperback and hardcover.  Click here for a full list of retailers.

CategoryInspiration for the Trilogy
TagsBarrie

About The Author

Melina Druga writes about the past because although school history classes may have been boring, the past was not.  Her era of expertise, and obsession, is 1890-1920 with a particular focus on the Great War and how it affected the lives of ordinary people.  Druga is the author of the WWI Trilogy.