On January 28th, 1847, worship services were held at City Hall. The Rev. Dr R. F. Burns was inducted as first Minister and two years later in 1849 the name “Chalmers” was adopted. The first Church building “Chalmers Presbyterian Church” opened on Earl Street and was dedicated on June 8th 1851. Four years later The Rev. Dr R. F. Burns left.
Rev. David Blair Pierce
On December 1st, 1855, David Blair Pierce was inducted as second Minister of Chalmers and faithfully served until his departure on March 19th 1857.
Rev. Patrick Gray
The Rev. Patrick Gray was inducted as third Minister of Chalmers on March 9th, 1858. After approving the concept of Union of all Presbyterian churches in Canada early in 1857, Chalmers entered into such a Union, forming the Presbyterian Church of Canada in 1875. Seven years later Chalmers adopted an amended constitution, bringing us in line with that of the central church. Shortly after, The Rev. Patrick Gray died, on October 29th, 1876.
Rev. Finlay McQuaig
On the following July 26th, 1877 The Rev. Finlay McQuaig was inducted as fourth Minister of Chalmers. After serving Chalmers for 11 years, he left.
Rev. Dr. Malcolm MacGillvray
The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Macgillivray who was inducted as our fifth Minister on Sept. 13th, 1887. January 5th 1890, our present church building was opened and dedicated. The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Macgillivray was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Canada in 1915 and a couple of years later he moved on and was named Minister Emeritus.
Rev. Dr. R. J. Wilson
The Rev. Dr R. J. Wilson who became our sixth Minister on June 19th,1918. In 1922, Chalmers Presbyterian Church united with the First Congregational Church in anticipation of the forthcoming United Church of Canada Union.
In October, 1923 The Rev. Dr R. J. Wilson resigned.
A few months later The Rev. Dr. George A. Brown was inducted as seventh Minister of Chalmers on March 28th, 1924. One year later, Chalmers entered the Union of the Presbyterian Church of Canada, the Methodist Church of Canada and the Congregational Church of Canada, forming the United Church of Canada on June 10th, 1925. After serving the members of this new united church for 26 years, the Rev. George Brown left and was made Minister Emeritus of Chalmers.
On Sept. 8th, 1950 The Rev. Dr. W. Franklin Banister was inducted as our eighth Minister. Rev. Dr Banister left after 14 years of service to the people of Chalmers on June 16th, 1964 and a decade later was named Minister Emeritus.
Meanwhile, The Rev. Robert K.N. McLean became the ninth Minister of Chalmers on September 10th,1965. A year later Virginia Dobson was installed as Deaconess and on August 1st, 1966 David Cameron became Music Director at Chalmers. In June 1969, Virginia Dobson left and was replaced by Margaret Quigley, as Deaconess. On October 8th, 1972 Rev. McLean left.
The following September 1973, The Rev. Dr. Stanford R. Lucyk became the tenth Minister of Chalmers. January 31st, 1978 the Rev. Stanford Lucyk and Margaret Quigley both left.
On September 14th, 1978, The Rev. Dr. Roy Wilson was inducted as our eleventh Minister and a couple of months later The Rev. Dr. Lois Wilson became Associate Minister of Chalmers. At the General Council Meeting in August, 1980, the Rev. Dr. Lois Wilson was elected Moderator of the General Council of the United Church of Canada and ceased to be Associate Minister at Chalmers. In 1981 The Rev. David Logan was engaged as Ministerial Assistant at Chalmers. In 1983, both the Rev. Dr. Roy Wilson and the Rev. David Logan moved on to new ministry positions.
On September 8th, 1983, The Rev. C. Wayne Hilliker, was inducted as twelfth Minister of Chalmers and the following July 1st 1984, Joyce Holden was engaged as Associate in Ministry. On February 21st, 1995, faulty wiring caused a fire in our church building resulting in extensive damage to the organ console, pipes and chancel wall. Following repairs and restoration, the sanctuary was re-dedicated on December 10, 1995. Four months later, Chalmers sold Macgillivray-Brown Hall and adjacent lands to Queen’s University. The restoration of the organ was completed on April 18, 2003. Meanwhile, after more than 15 years of ministry at Chalmers, Joyce Holden retired as Associate in Ministry on December 31st, 2000. In 2002, we welcomed our thirteenth Minister The Rev. Sharon Cohoon, Minister of Christian Education and Pastoral Care as part of our pastoral team. On June 30, 2005, The Rev. C. Wayne Hilliker retired and was named Minister Emeritus.
June 2006, we called our fourteenth Minister, The Rev. Dr. Steven Chambers, who was installed in September of that year as our Minister of Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care. In June 2007, The Rev. Sharon Cohoon left and The Rev. Elaine Smith and Michelle Hawkins were contracted part-time to co-ordinate Pastoral Care and Christian Education respectively and have since moved on. Rev. Elizabeth Hayward became the Co-ordinator of Children, Youth and Family Programs and Pastoral Care. On June 30, 2011 both Rev. Dr. Steven Chambers and Rev. Elizabeth Hayward moved to take up pastoral ministries in BC.
Rev. Drew Strickland was called to the Ministry of Word, Sacraments and Pastoral Care in 2013, after a year in Interim ministry at Chalmers to become Chalmers fifteenth minister and retired in June 2017. Rev. Drew Strickland continued on to serve six months as Chalmers Supply Minister from July 1 to December 31, 2017, when he officially left Chalmers United Church. Margaret Moncrieff was contracted part-time as Children and Youth Ministry Co-ordinator from Sept. 2011 to the Fall of 2017.
Rev. Barry King
Rev. Barry King served as Intentional Interim Minister from Sept. 2018 - Sept. 2020. He received his Masters in Divinity from Queen’s University in 1985 and accepted his first charge later that same year in Bonnyville, Alberta. His Ministry work has taken him to various parts of the country with much of it being in the greater Toronto area. Reverend King has had extensive training in Mediation & Arbitration and in Conflict Resolution.