Saturday service helps mark the 200th anniversary of the Old St. Thomas Church

An event 200 years in the making takes place this Saturday in St. Thomas.

An anniversary service at Old St. Thomas Church marks the bicentennial of the historic Walnut Street building. Old St. Thomas in 1824 was a fledgling community’s first church and, today, remains its oldest. Although no longer used for regular services, it remains consecrated and hosts a number of special events.

All are welcome to the 10:30 a.m. service, when Archbishop Linda Nicholls, head of the Anglican Church of Canada, is to deliver the homily. She is a former bishop of the London-based Diocese of Huron.

Saturday’s service is one of a number of occasions in Old St. Thomas’s bicentennial year. Although parts of the historically designated building actually date to 1822, the anniversary marks the first communion in 1824 after Old St. Thomas received an incumbent priest.

The church and its surrounding churchyard, where many of the community’s founders are buried, is steeped in history.

But they and their stories remain as relevant to today’s much different St. Thomas as they did to that new community, say three leaders of the Old St. Thomas Church Restoration and Maintenance Trust, which care takes the building on behalf of the diocese, its owner, and which is leading the bicentennial.

Gail Ballard is a longtime member and president of the trust who can visit the graves of her great-great-great-grandparents in the churchyard. Heather Jackson also has forebears in the churchyard, while Steve Peters, vice-president, is a community activist and local historian.

It’s on the foundation of Old St. Thomas that the community today was built, they say.

“For the community, it represents growth,” says Gail, who notes the church building has gradually evolved through several additions, including a tower, mirroring the growth of St. Thomas.

“I believe it represents a step back in time for people and generations who have never experienced (pioneer times),” she also says.

“This is our history. This is where we really began as a community,” says Heather.

“To stand here, whether you are in the building or in the churchyard, you look........

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