St. John the Evangelist, Coley's Point
Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of its Consecration in 2006

Consecrated in the year 1906, St. John the Evangelist Church still serves mainly the people of Coley's Point and Country Road, although families from other nearby communities consider it to be their home church.

St. John is part of the parish of Bay Roberts -Coley's Point and about 250 families support this church. The church is situated about ¾ of a mile from the headland of Coley's Point on the Neck Road. That is, it is in the approximate geographical centre of Coley's Point.

History

As the English - speaking world approached the end of its Victorian age the people of Coley's Point and Country Road, in common with those from all over the world, prepared to face the twentieth century.

With faith in their God and confidence in the future the Church of England people of this community were determined to see that the spiritual needs of all parishioners would be well served in the new age. In a tangible manifestation of their faith and hope the people of St. John the Evangelist's congregation resolved to raise a new house of worship to the glory of God and to serve themselves and their heirs for generations to come.

At a meeting held on May 31,1898, a motion was proposed by Eli Dawe, M.H.A., and seconded by Isaac Dawe that immediate steps be taken to build a new church. A building committee was quickly formed consisting of three members from the north side, three from the south side, and three from Country Road, with the power to add to its membership as the need arose. The members of the original committee were as follows: Chairman, Rev. W. C. Shears; Secretary, W. H. Greenland; Churchwardens, Robert Parsons and John Greenland; South Side, Capt. Edward Mercer, Samuel Parsons, Isaac Gray; North Side, Eli Dawe, M.H.A., Capt. George Barrett, John Kelly; Country Road, Samual Bradbury, Joseph Russell and John Russell.

On November 24,1898, a "beautiful, calm, peaceful day", the men of the congregation met in a "large body" to dig the foundation of the church. A person who was present was moved to quote from holy writ, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."

For the next 31/2 years the construction of the church proceeded smoothly under master builder Jonas Earle from Country Road. He and his fellow carpenters constructed the wooden neo-Gothic type building that was built to seat nearly 700 persons. The church bell was purchased from Meneely & Co. of New York in 1902. The congregation paid $130.00 "for one bell, 424 pounds, also the complete mountings, and ringing and tolling ropes, packed and freight paid to St. John's, Nfld."

Encouraged by its success to date and looking forward confidently the congregation in 1905 resolved to embark on an even more optimistic course. There was talk of forming a separate mission for Coley's Point and to this end consultations were scheduled with the Rev. Mr. Bolt, secretary-treasurer of the Diocesan Synod, to ascertain the requirements for establishing an independent mission. At the same time preparations were begun for the consecration of the church, and the men of the congregation were asked to help clear the churchyard and make it suitable for the momentous occasion. By the summer of 1906 the Bishop had approved the plan to erect a gallery to provide pews for those who had been unsuccessful in obtaining seats in the main part of the church.

On Thursday, October 25,1906, the new church of St. John the Evangelist was consecrated by his Lordship, Bishop Jones. We are told that the day was fine and a large number of people attended the ceremony.

During the next few years the finishing touches were put on the new church and the surrounding churchyard. Construction of the gallery and tower, both unfinished at the time of consecration, had to be completed, the cemetery fence had to be repaired and painted, and the interior of the church had to be stained and varnished. The work of completing the gallery, which had been undertaken by William Dawe, was finished on June 21, 1911. When Samuel Mercer and William Parsons, who were engaged to stain and varnish the inside of the church, concluded their assignment on September 15, 1911, a period of construction which had lasted for thirteen years, finally came to a close.

Well Known Clergy

Several well-known clergy have ministered here, including Archbishop Stewart Payne and Canon A.B.S. Sterling.

The longest serving priest in the Bay Roberts Mission was Rev. W. C. Shears. During his 37 years of faithful service to his flock, he became an almost legendary figure. He worked particularly to help the residents of Shearstown and during his ministry St. Mark's Church in Shearstown was built and consecrated. Indeed the community of Shearstown takes its name from this devoted prelate. In Rev. Shears' time, too, the congregation of St .John the Evangelist built its new church. The pulpit in the Coley's Point church was erected in memory of Rev. Shears. Rev. Shears' stewardship ended in 1904.

Important Firsts

According to church Register records the first baptism in the new church after its consecration was that of Cecil Llewellyn Greenland, son of John and Emma Greenland, born October 4, 1906, and baptized on October 25, 1906 (the day of the consecration) by Rev. John M. Noel, Rural Dean.
The first marriage was that of James Snow of Bay Roberts and Annie Dawe of Coley's Point, who were married on November 17, 1906 by Rev. James Bell, Rector, with witnesses George Squires and Charlotte Snow.
The first burial was that of Elizabeth Greenland, aged 78 years, on November 5, 1906, by Rev. M. K. Gardner, Priest. (Interestingly, Elizabeth Greenland was the grandmother of Cecil Greenland.)
However, the first local son to be ordained to the priesthood here was in 1994, when Allan Frye and his wife were both priested.

Church Hall

The Church Hall for St. John the Evangelist is located about ¼ of a mile to the west. It is named in honour of James Norman, one of the most loved and respected teachers that Newfoundland has produced. He donated his time and talents in almost every church position that a layman could.

In 1944 a public meeting was held at which the congregation presented James Norman with an illuminated address. The Sisters of the Convent of Mercy, St. John's, made the address. Mr. Norman, having moved to Bay Roberts, had resigned as secretary-treasurer of the congregation the year before. Thus ended a remarkable period in which the name of James Norman was practically synonymous with the church, if not the community, of Coley's Point. As teacher, Sunday school superintendent, lay reader, churchwarden, secretary-treasurer, committee member, chairman, and advisor, he had been a continuous source of inspiration and guidance to both young and old for almost half a century. Even those who came after felt his influence by hearing of him from their elders who spoke with such respect of their old mentor.

James Norman was first proposed as People's Churchwarden in the year 1900 but he declined on the grounds he was a stranger to Coley's Point. However, he took an active interest in the affairs of the church and in 1905 he became People's Warden, an office he held for a period of 24 years, from 1905 to 1920 and again from 1930 to 1939. In 1913, when the new Coley's Point Mission established is first finance committee, Mr. Norman became the first secretary-treasurer, a position he held for 30 years, until 1943.

Mr. Norman passed away on Tuesday, March 22,1955.

--From an article by Harold Dawe, Rector's Warden, St. John the Evangelist and based on a comprehensive history of St. John the Evangelist written by Albert French in 1981. The history offers vivid and detailed information.

Copies are available at the rectory.

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