The Story of Wesleyville United Church and Its People 1960

Foreword

The task of compiling a complete history of any community is a difficult one. Written records of early happenings were not kept, or if recorded were not preserved. The history of the early families has not been handed down in any degree of fulness to the succeeding generations. The families of the first settlers passed on, and their story with them since it was not put into writing by the immediate succeeding generation. Many of these latter died before interested people enquired of them concerning the experiences and happenings of the pioneer years.
Consequently, today one has to rely to a large degree upon the memories of the elderly members of this generation, and to get a complete story of the community and its people is by no means easy.
This applies, too, to the history of the Church in any one place. Many of the early written records were far from complete and most of them have been lost. A great deal of research has to be done, with the hope of finding references from outside sources, to the church's life and special activities through the years. And even here, sometimes the results are not very rewarding in the case of a church like Wesleyville which is situated away from the centres of population
A great deal of credit goes to Mrs. E. J. (Edna) Barrowclough for the preservation of historical data of Wesleyville community and Church. As a result of her careful attention to detail and untiring efforts through the years in securing reliable information, she has preserved for posterity a valuable, accurate and interesting story of our church at Wesleyville to this present day. Many, many hours of painstaking labour of sorting and compiling bits of information gathered here and there have gone into this historical sketch, and it is the hope that the finished work will be accepted with understanding, and that it will be found interesting, and that to many it will recall precious memories and personal happenings that will warm and stir the heart.
One of the outstanding glories of the Christian Church is its consistency. It has stood firm through the years, and has borne the burden of the ages, unweakened and unchanged in its essential mission; it has brought to these ages the one lasting and unfailing hope of the human pilgrim.
By faithful and sacrificial service and through devoted lives our church at Wesleyville has triumphed over difficulties and discouragements to perpetuate a witness to Christ in this community. Our forefathers were concerned for the spiritual life of their neighbourhood. We must carry on their work and maintain the high ideals they bequeathed to us.
Thus we are looking forward to our Centennial occasion as a season of happy fellowship and holy inspiration.
A. W. Harding, Pastor.