Documents & Records

Church Records - Methodist

Basics

The Methodist church was the first to minister to the Chinese community in Canada, establishing a mission school in Victoria in 1876. The school moved to new premises in Chinatown and was inaugurated as the Chinese Mission School in February 1885. With the support of the Methodist church, missionary John Gardiner also established a Chinese Girls Rescue Home (later the Oriental Home and School) as a refuge for young Chinese women escaping prostitution and forced marriages. In 1891, Gardiner received a grant to build a Chinese Methodist Church.

In Vancouver, the first Methodist Mission was established on Hastings Street in 1888. By the following year there was a Chinese Methodist Church on Dupont Street. After much of New Westminster was destroyed by fire in 1898, a Chinese Methodist Church was established there as well. Nanaimo also had a Chinese Methodist Mission.

The Methodists were also active on the Prairies. In Moose Jaw, which had the largest Chinese population in Saskatchewan, a Chinese Mission was established in 1911.

Montreal had a Chinese Methodist Church by 1921.

Finding the Records

In 1925, the Methodist church merged with the Presbyterian Church and Congregational Church to form the United Church of Canada. Archival collections were also merged. For more information about Methodist (United) church archives and their collections across Canada, see Church Records - United.

Photo banner: Detail from VPL Historical Photograph 78362