St. George's Church (Georgetown, Ontario)
St. George's Church, Georgetown, Ontario is a parish church of the Anglican Church of Canada, in the Anglican Diocese of Niagara. History. St. George's Church was officially established in 1852 with the appointment of the parish's first full-time priest, The Reverend Thomas W. Marsh. The first St. George's Church was built in the late eighteen forties on land donated to the church by Mr. and Mrs. George Kennedy. The original church was a plain frame structure with tower and spire. It contained straight box pews and in the centre  was a square enclosure used by the choir; the music being supplied by a small cabinet organ. The first baptism recorded was of John Cook, farmer, Esquesing, who was born January 24, 1812 and who was baptized August 3, 1852 by the Rector, Thomas Marsh. The first Confirmation was held on June 3, 1855 and was conducted by the Bishop of Toronto. The first Marriage performed at St. George's was celebrated on March 12, 1856 between William Long and Ann Price by the Rev'd Thomas Marsh. The first burial recorded in the registry of St. George's was for  Thomas Manson Thompson, on Sept. 30th, 1852. And the first burial recorded in St. George's Burial Ground was Evan Price on June 2, 1855, also by the Rector, Thomas Marsh.<ref name = "St. George's Anglican Church, Georgetown, Ontario : a history / by Richard E. Ruggle"></ref> On July 25, 1878, the corner stone for the current stone building was laid and on December 29, 1878 the church was officially opened by Bishop Fuller. In the 1880s the rectory, for the priest and their family to live in was constructed on the land on the east side of the church . In 1921, an extension to the chancel was added making room for an organ chamber and below it a kitchen and a church school room. The following year, in 1922, St. George's began to hold Communion services each week, rather than the traditional once a month. In 1973, St. George's parish hall was constructed where the old drive shed had once stood. In 2005, the rectory house was torn down due to mould. Services. There are three Sunday services: 8:00 a.m. a quiet, traditional said Eucharistic service using the Book of Common Prayer, 9:30 a.m. the full Anglican  Choral Eucharist service using the Book of Alternative Services, and 11:15 a.m. a Modern Eucharist. Thursday at 10:00 a.m. is the weekly midweek Eucharist. Messy Church. In April 2007 St. George's became the first church in Canada to join the Messy Church initiative. St. George's continues to offer "Messy Church" services on the second Wednesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. (not during summer).