Calhoun United Baptist Church, formerly Gayton Union Church
Title
Calhoun United Baptist Church, formerly Gayton Union Church
Creator
Avery Jackson
Source
Information provided by the church and the Atlantic Baptist Archives.
Church Name
Calhoun United Baptist Church, formerly Gayton Union Church
Church Association
Westmorland - Kent Association
Province
New Brunswick
County
Westmorland County
Address
139 Calhoun Rd, Calhoun, NB
Status
Active
Date
Built 1903
Historical Information
In 1903 when a "Union" church was built in the nearby community of Gayton the community of Calhoun was composed of a school, a train station, a saw mill, and eighteen homes. Before then people wishing to attend religious services had to travel to Memramcook where services were held in a one-room school.
On September 6, 1903 Rev. William Morrison preached the dedication sermon at the newly built "Union Church" in Gayton. Being a ‘Union’ church it was made available to the different religious denominations for the purpose of conducting worship services. First the Anglicans and Methodists used the facility. Later they were joined by the Baptists. Occasionally a clergyman would travel to Calhoun to conduct services in the local school. During these years the village of Calhoun was growing, but the area of Gayton was losing its population.
First Moncton United Baptist Church provided leadership in the early days through laymen preachers, Mr. Ezra Taylor and Mr. Wilford Mills. They often led worship services at the schoolhouse in Calhoun and the Union Church in Gayton. Mr. Mills continued as pastor until 1959. During the summer services student ministers from Atlantic Baptist University (formerly United Baptist Bible Training School) and Acadia Divinity College (formerly The School of Theology, Acadia University) provided leadership for the worship services.
In 1938 First Moncton Baptist Church reports of people from Calhoun being baptized and brought into membership within the Moncton Church. December 11, 1938 saw the early steps towards the formation of the Calhoun Baptist Church with the newly baptized members and others who had their church memberships transferred to the Shediac Baptist Church. The difficulty of transporting people over the distance to Shediac or to the Union Church at Gayton proved to be a hindrance to regular church attendance. There were times when services were held in the homes of the Calhoun members. May 21, 1939 The decision was made to form their own church (i.e., an organized body of believers). On May 24, 1939 the Shediac church members dismissed, with their blessings, eight members to form the Calhoun Baptist Church. On May 29th they joined with seven others to become part of the fifteen charter members of the Calhoun Baptist Church. A Sunday School for all ages was quickly formed and met weekly to learn about the Christian faith.
Due to population movements and the withdrawal of the Methodists when they became part of the United Church of Canada (1925), the Baptists found themselves solely responsible for the care of the union church building. It seemed natural to locate the building in the community in which they gathered for worship. That would be Calhoun, since most of the Baptists lived there. An opportunity came with the construction of an improved highway. Dexter Construction Company, the highway contractor, offered to move the building to its new site some 10 kilometers from Gayton to Calhoun. This happened on May 27, 1946.
This church was somewhat unusual for its time in terms of style, and resembles that of churches built in an earlier time frame. congregations during the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries were moving away from symmetrically designed buildings, towards an asymmetrical building often with the tower placed on the side of the structure.
The church features a three-bay facade on the gable end, with a centrally placed tower with a spire at the top. On each of the eave-sides there are three classical, rectangle windows that appear to be original to the structure. On the front facade, near the center of the tower, there is a classical, rounded top window, with a medallion window, further up, near the top of the tower.
The inside of the building has been altered very little, and still maintains many of its original features such as the original pews, and pulpit.
In 1962 the Calhoun Church joined with Shediac and McKees Mills congregations to form one field served by one pastor. This continued until 1980 when McKees Mills United Baptist Church withdrew from the combined field to call their own pastor.
In 2003 the church field divided once more when Shediac withdrew from the field. Calhoun then made arrangements to seek its own pastor.
Information provided by the church and the Atlantic Baptist Archives.
On September 6, 1903 Rev. William Morrison preached the dedication sermon at the newly built "Union Church" in Gayton. Being a ‘Union’ church it was made available to the different religious denominations for the purpose of conducting worship services. First the Anglicans and Methodists used the facility. Later they were joined by the Baptists. Occasionally a clergyman would travel to Calhoun to conduct services in the local school. During these years the village of Calhoun was growing, but the area of Gayton was losing its population.
First Moncton United Baptist Church provided leadership in the early days through laymen preachers, Mr. Ezra Taylor and Mr. Wilford Mills. They often led worship services at the schoolhouse in Calhoun and the Union Church in Gayton. Mr. Mills continued as pastor until 1959. During the summer services student ministers from Atlantic Baptist University (formerly United Baptist Bible Training School) and Acadia Divinity College (formerly The School of Theology, Acadia University) provided leadership for the worship services.
In 1938 First Moncton Baptist Church reports of people from Calhoun being baptized and brought into membership within the Moncton Church. December 11, 1938 saw the early steps towards the formation of the Calhoun Baptist Church with the newly baptized members and others who had their church memberships transferred to the Shediac Baptist Church. The difficulty of transporting people over the distance to Shediac or to the Union Church at Gayton proved to be a hindrance to regular church attendance. There were times when services were held in the homes of the Calhoun members. May 21, 1939 The decision was made to form their own church (i.e., an organized body of believers). On May 24, 1939 the Shediac church members dismissed, with their blessings, eight members to form the Calhoun Baptist Church. On May 29th they joined with seven others to become part of the fifteen charter members of the Calhoun Baptist Church. A Sunday School for all ages was quickly formed and met weekly to learn about the Christian faith.
Due to population movements and the withdrawal of the Methodists when they became part of the United Church of Canada (1925), the Baptists found themselves solely responsible for the care of the union church building. It seemed natural to locate the building in the community in which they gathered for worship. That would be Calhoun, since most of the Baptists lived there. An opportunity came with the construction of an improved highway. Dexter Construction Company, the highway contractor, offered to move the building to its new site some 10 kilometers from Gayton to Calhoun. This happened on May 27, 1946.
This church was somewhat unusual for its time in terms of style, and resembles that of churches built in an earlier time frame. congregations during the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries were moving away from symmetrically designed buildings, towards an asymmetrical building often with the tower placed on the side of the structure.
The church features a three-bay facade on the gable end, with a centrally placed tower with a spire at the top. On each of the eave-sides there are three classical, rectangle windows that appear to be original to the structure. On the front facade, near the center of the tower, there is a classical, rounded top window, with a medallion window, further up, near the top of the tower.
The inside of the building has been altered very little, and still maintains many of its original features such as the original pews, and pulpit.
In 1962 the Calhoun Church joined with Shediac and McKees Mills congregations to form one field served by one pastor. This continued until 1980 when McKees Mills United Baptist Church withdrew from the combined field to call their own pastor.
In 2003 the church field divided once more when Shediac withdrew from the field. Calhoun then made arrangements to seek its own pastor.
Information provided by the church and the Atlantic Baptist Archives.
Files
Collection
Citation
Avery Jackson, “Calhoun United Baptist Church, formerly Gayton Union Church,” Atlantic Baptist Built Heritage Project , accessed May 3, 2024, https://atlanticbaptistheritage.omeka.net/items/show/474.