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16 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, November 4, 2010 Knox Church, Georgetown celebrates 150 years in the community By DAWN LIVINGSTONE Special to the IFP An historical 166year-old Bible was used during the 150th Anniversary Services at Knox Presbyterian Church, Main St., Georgetown Oct. 17. The bible had been inscribed to Rev. Robert Burns in 1844 by his Sunday School class in Paisley, Scotland, as he left to embark on a new life in Canada. He, in turn, inscribed the Bible to the new congregation at Knox Georgetown in October 1860. It is he who is credited with the formation of that church and also the congregation at Limehouse in 1861. Two services marked the event on Oct. 17. In the morning, Rev. Dr. Richard Fee, past Moderator of the General Assembly, and General Secretary of the Life and Mission Agency of the National Presbyterian Church gave the address, and in the evening, the sermon was given by Rev. Peter Barrow, who for nearly 30 years served the congregation until his retirement in 2001. In the evening, a special The evening prior, a gala celebration had been held at the Club at North Halton, where the full crowd enjoyed an evening of social time over a dinner and light entertainment of music and a pictorial presentation of the history of the church and its people. They were pleased to be joined by several dignitaries who had been piped into the hall by piper Jane Cartwright, at the opening of the evening. MP Michael Chong, brought along wishes from both he and the Prime Minister, MPP Ted Arnott, brought along wishes from he and the Ontario Premier, and our own local Mayor, Rick Bonnette, brought along his wishes and those of our Town. Rev. Dr. Richard Fee also attended the evening dinner. He had returned the day prior from a conference in India, and as a result of his meeting there, brought along personal best wishes from not only the Canadian National Presbyterian Church, but also from the National Church in Scotland, and even the Archbishop of Canterbury. Other guests at the evening included former interim ministers Rev. Robert Spencer and Rev. Gerald Rennie, and William Karn, Clerk of Session for the Limehouse church. All were welcomed by present Knox minister Rev. Dr. James Cooper. The weekend was the culmination of a year of celebrations which included a luncheon for the many 50+ year members, the eldest of whom is Elma Harlow, who has 74 years of service to the church and the choir. During the downtown Big Daddy Festival, a `Doors Open at Knox' day was held welcoming the community to tour the church. For 150 years, Knox Presbyterian Church has served Georgetown and area from its Main Street location, and over those years, a great number of Georgetown people have had some association with the church, either with the Sunday School or church itself, or simply through having used the facility through some local community event or gathering. It is with faith we look forward to serving our community for another 150 years, and it is interesting to wonder and imagine just what our town will even look like by that time! Left photo: Rev. Dr. Richard Fee, General Secretary of the Life and Mission Agency of the National Presbyterian Church cuts the anniversary cake with Rev. Peter Barrow, who served as Knox pastor for nearly 30 years. Right: Knox Clerk of Session Steve McNamara (left) thanks Bill Karn, Limehouse Presbyterian Church's Clerk of Session for gifts presented by the Limehouse congregation. presentation was made to the Georgetown congregation by Bill Karn, Clerk of Session of Limehouse Presbyterian Church. One of two gifts was a framed copy of original Limehouse Session minutes of November 1861, at which time the two churches agreed to join forces as a two-point charge, and since that time they have worked well together, sharing ministers down through the 150 years. Busy Schedule? No time to Cook? Call Pat to get your Roast Chicken (Wed. & Fri.) Roast Beef or Porchetta Roast 333 Mountainview Rd. S., Georgetown 33 905-873-0352