History
Grace Anglican Church is the oldest Christian congregation in Brantford. The first building was erected in 1832. The property for the site was given by A.K. Smith and his sister, Mrs. Margaret Kerby in 1830 marking the official founding of the parish. The first rector, the Reverend Mr. Usher began his ministry in 1836. Prior to that appointment, services were conducted by clergy from the Mohawk chapel – the oldest church in Upper Canada. One record indicates that one of our ministers was paid $800 a year in our early days.
That early wood-framed white church served the congregation of Grace until the present building was built in 1856. When the new church was built, land adjoining the church that had been used for a burial ground was needed. Thirty two bodies were relocated and only one remains under the church – a Mr. Richardson, father of Mrs. Henry Racey. Her husband, Henry Racey, was the founder of the Brantford Expositor newspaper. Most of the bodies were re-interred in the plot near the church, though some were moved to Greenwood Cemetery. The distinctive memorial tower, a gift of Reuben M. Leonard and family, was started in 1916 and completed in 1917. Dedicated in 1918 at the end of WW1, in thanksgiving for victory of the allied forces, the tower remains one the most impressive structures on the Brantford cityscape.
Over the years Grace has played a huge part in Brantford life. Many important civic occasions were marked through worship at Grace. Some of our current members still recall the bells pealing and people from all over town gathering at the church to share their thoughts and memories the night King George VI passed away. Several regiments have called Grace Church home and the parish still displays the original regimental colours of four units in specially constructed cases.
By all accounts, the clergy of Grace Church have served the parish very faithfully. Several had very long incumbencies, with one, Archdeacon G. C. Mackenzie, serving the parish 38 years from 1879-1917! In its first 150 years, incumbencies were so long, only nine clergy served as rectors of Grace. As of the parish’s 175th anniversary, only twelve rectors have served the parish in the capacity of rector. The roster of Grace Church clergy includes three men who went on to become a bishop, archbishop, and one, Arthur Sweatman, became the Primate of All Canada (head of the Canadian Anglican church).
A New Chapter – Merger with St. Stephen’s
On December 1, 2003, a new exciting page in the life of Grace Church was turned. On that day, Advent 1, the official merger of Grace Church with St. Stephen’s Church, Brantford was marked with a service of thanksgiving and celebration. Members of St. Stephen’s, in a wonderful act of faithful stewardship, agreed to close St. Stephen’s and join with the people of Grace Church to form a new church. In doing so, they ensured that the assets of St. Stephen’s – both human resources and fiscal assets – would be fresh for use in a new expression of ministry to the people of Brantford. To honour this faithfulness and keep the memory of St. Stephen’s alive, the Grace Church rectory at 15 Albion Street has been re-named St. Stephen’s House.
St. Stephen’s was a fixture on Queensway Drive in Brantford for over 50 years. It was known as a place of great spirituality and openness to where the Lord was leading the congregation. As the St. Stephen’s parish website once proclaimed:
“Ours is not a "closed shop", we do not feel that we have all the answers. By this statement we are saying that we desire the "new wine" of newcomers and their observations of, and gifts for, our community. We are also open to experience new things and so our grip on tradition is not so tight that we have no energy left to try new things.”
This spirit of openness to the wonderful surprises of God has been a powerful gift of the people of St. Stephen’s to the new combined community at Grace Church. At a time when many Anglican parishes were holding on to their beloved church buildings, the people of St. Stephen’s acted boldly and faithfully to join Grace Church. They brought their diverse collection of gifts and talents along with another great gift to Grace – the St. Stephen’s trust.
The St. Stephen’s Trust
With the sale of the St. Stephen’s church building and property on Queensway Avenue and the sale of the Admiral Road rectory owned by the parish, the St. Stephen’s Trust was created. This fund of over $450,000 is being invested by the new Grace Church community. According to the terms of the trust fund, the investment income earned by the trust must be spent on outreach to the people of Brantford. It is this investment income that is ear-marked to fund the salary and benefits of the new chaplain to the Laurier University campus in downtown Brantford.
To learn more about the St. Stephen’s parish you can visit their website which is still online. This Web site is being left online to honour the long and faithful ministry of the people of that community. May its history of faithfulness always be remembered.
In recent years, the new community of Grace Church is attempting to reclaim the historical role of Grace Church as a social service resource to the downtown inner core. New programs are either underway or planned to reach out to the needy in Brantford. Looking back, we honour an exemplary tradition of worship, community service, and fellowship from both our founding congregations and pray that we might be faithful to God’s call to be the church in our day.
For more about the history of Grace Anglican Church, an historical account of the parish is available from the parish office “ Grace Anglican Church, Brantford, Ontario – 1830-1980”.
History buffs may also want to visit Brantford's Heritage Inventory Project, and search for Grace Church.
