St. Andrew’s Memorial Anglican Church, Howdenvale

9 Church Ln, Howdenvale, ON N0H 1X0
Tel: (519) 534-4090 (Church Steward)

A small church with a big heart—rooted in faith, hospitality, and tradition along the beautiful Bruce Peninsula.

Service Times

SUMMER SERVICES : 10:00 a.m.

* Services from June 1st to Sunday September 28th 2025 weather
permitting.

*Summer Play dates July and August on Wednesdays from 1:00 to
3:00 pm at the beach.

Welcome to St. Andrew’s

Tucked just a few steps from Lake Huron’s shoreline in Howdenvale, St. Andrew’s Memorial Anglican Church is a seasonal church with a rich history and a spirit of hospitality that spans generations. Though small in size, our church has welcomed visitors and vacationers from across the world, all gathering to share in worship, community, and connection. Guided by the Anglican tradition, supported by Lutheran partnership, and inspired by the joy of the Gospel, St. Andrew’s is a place of rest, reverence, and renewal.

Whether you’re here for a weekend or a season, you are welcome just as you are.

Planning a visit or have a question? We’d love to hear from you. Click here to get in touch.

Our Early Beginnings – Worship Before the Walls

Long before a building stood on Church Lane, faithful Christians in Howdenvale gathered in homes to worship. As early as 1920, Belle Ashcroft opened her home for Sunday services. Pauline Orchard, a local waitress, was often the soloist. Belle Ashcroft’s name appears in the earliest parish records, and her contribution is commemorated within the church.

By 1927, financial records were kept, and local ministers served the community, sometimes receiving room and board in place of wages. Though the congregation was small and denominational lines were blurred, their unity and perseverance carried them through the 1930s and 1940s. Summer services averaged six per year, and offerings were often directed to churches abroad damaged during World War II.

By 1947, a building was needed. Mr. Harry Hoogesteger organized a fundraising effort with help from summer visitors. When the Ashcroft land (Lot 12, Concession 5) was sold, space was set aside for a church.

St. Andrew’s Church Is Built

Thanks to the Andrew Jamieson Fund and generous local donations, more than $2,500 was raised. A white frame church was constructed by Wesley Richardson and his son, Howard. The altar, cross, pulpit, and prayer desk were handcrafted by Gordon Hepburn. Beautiful leaded glass windows were brought in from St. Thomas’ Church in Walkerton.

In July 1950, the Rev. E.K. Bissell led the first worship services and introduced the Book of Common Prayer. The original Board of Management included:

Sydney Glazier, People’s Warden and Treasurer
Howard Richardson, Rector’s Warden
Mrs. Miller, Secretary

Volunteers like Mrs. Glazier, Mrs. Orchard, Miss Hunter, and Mrs. Miller also took care of cleaning and altar preparation.

A Growing, Seasonal Community of Faith

As word spread, so did participation. The congregation held concerts and entertainments to raise funds and tried expanding services into May and June. In 1959, a small cottage was built for the minister. By 1960, a branch of the Women’s Auxiliary was formed under the leadership of Mrs. Millman.

St. Andrew’s is typically open from early June through Labour Day. Over the years, clergy and theology students from across Canada—and even Latin America and Uganda—have served here. In recent decades, ministry students from Huron College (University of Western Ontario) have taken summer placements under the guidance of the Wiarton rector.

One such local leader was the Rev. Margaret (Peg) Wheeler, who first served as a cottager and later became a permanent resident. Her lay ministry in the 1970s and 1980s paved the way for her ordination as a Deacon by the Bishop of Huron.

Ministry at St. Andrew’s: Clergy and Student Leaders

Below is a list of the clergy and students who have faithfully served the people of St. Andrew’s.

Clergy (1950–1979):

(Organized by year and name for easy reference)

1950–52: Rev. G.E.K. Bissell
1953–55: Rev. M.A. Stephens
1956: Rev. M.A. Stephens
1957: Rev. R.J. Crocker & George Hamilton (Montreal)
1958: Rev. R. Scoon
1959: Rev. Chaplin Brooks
1960: Rev. H. Miller
1961: Rev. Keith Brett
1962: Rev. (Dr.) M. Parker
1963: Rev. Odendahl & Rev. (Dr.) Dymond Dymond
1964: Rev. D. Gray
1965: Rev. D. Gray & Handley R. Perkins
1966: Rev. P. Ganden
1967: Rev. Wright, W.J. Harkin & C.W. Roof
1968: Rev. D.G. Madge
1969: Rev. R. Gestwicki & F. Tomkinson
1970: Rev. Roy Webb
1971: Rev. Roy Webb & Allan AE Chovaz Barker
1972: Rev. R. Webb
1973: Rev. Scott, A. Gibson, E.D. Jacques & C.E. Ladds
1974: Rev. Russell
1975: Rev. T. Handy & Larry Reese
1976: Rev. Scott
1977: Rev. Ben Mutana
1978: Rev. R. Bennett
1979: Rev. Seagar, Tim Hill & John Martin

Student Ministers (1980–2016):

Each of these students brought their own gifts to the ministry at St. Andrew’s, contributing to the life and worship of the congregation.

1980–1989: Howard Gorle, Paul Wheeler, Rob Davis, Steve Harnadek, Kuruvilla (Sam) Thomas, Wayne Taylor, Donald “J” Koyle, Steve Emery, Sylvia Doran, Robert Skelding
1990–1999: John O’Dell, Patricia Dobbs, Mark Loyal & Dave Hewitt, Nancy Northgrave, Lynda Kealey, Thelma Kudelka, Gary Alcock, Sue McCullough, Don Alcock, Christine Crawford
2000–2009: Dwayne Bos, Kendall Reimer, Maggie Meyers, Mairi Anderson, Loretta Zimmerman, Daniel Bowyer, Andrea Brennan, Karine Farmer, Chantal Blackshaw, Chris Travers
2010–2016: Margaret Walker, Michael DeKay, Elise Chambers, Shaun Eaton, Bradley Johnson, Matt Kieswetter, Clare Stewart

Who Was St. Andrew?

The first disciple of Christ and a humble fisherman who changed the world.

Biography of St. Andrew – Patron Saint of Fishermen

St. Andrew’s feast day is November 30. A fisherman by trade, Andrew was the first disciple to follow Jesus after hearing St. John the Baptist proclaim, “Behold the Lamb of God!” He invited his brother Simon Peter to meet Jesus, and the rest is sacred history.

Though Andrew and Peter initially continued their fishing work, Jesus later called them to become “fishers of men.” After Jesus’ resurrection, Andrew preached the gospel in Greece. He was martyred on a cross shaped like an “X,” feeling unworthy to die as Christ did. He continued to preach for two days while bound to the cross.

St. Andrew is the patron saint of both Scotland and Russia.

The Cross of St. Andrew

Also called the “saltire” or Crux Decussata, the Cross of St. Andrew resembles the letter “X.” Tradition holds that Andrew requested this form of crucifixion, feeling unworthy of Christ’s style of death. Bound rather than nailed, he suffered longer—yet continued to speak to the people during his final days.

During the medieval period, the Cross of St. Andrew became widely recognized and was adopted as the national cross of Scotland.

Biblical References to St. Andrew

To learn more about St. Andrew’s role in Scripture, read the
following passages:

Mark 1:16–20, 29; 13:3
John 1:35–42; 6:8
Matthew 4:18–20