United Church of Canada. Corner Brook (Birchy Bay) Pastoral Charge. (N.L.)

The first reference to the Curling Pastoral Charge appears in the United Church yearbook of 1928. In 1929, other preaching stations within the ministry included Humbermouth, Spruce Brook, and Summerside; Prior to its formation as a charge, Curling had been the head of the Bay of Islands Mission. That mission had formally been established in 1903; however, Methodism in the area can trace its history back to the formation of the Fortune Bay Mission in 1816, with headquarters in Grand Bank. As Methodist missionaries spread westward from Grand Bank, new missions were formed along the south coast and, later, the west coast: in 1839, the Western Shore Mission; in 1851, the Channel Mission; in 1873, the Bonne Bay Mission; and in 1883, the St. George's Mission. The St. George's Mission extended into Bay of Islands and, from 1889 to 1903, shared its title with Bay of Islands. Its appointments included Curling, Lark Harbour, Summerside, Wood's Island, Humbermouth, Corner Brook, Petries, Georgestown, Middle Arm, and Goose Arm. Deer Lake was added by 1915.

The first Methodist church/school in Curling was built in 1890. The first separate church was dedicated in the late 1890s. It burned in the early 1940s and was replaced in 1944 by the Curling Memorial Church. The construction of the Corner Brook Paper Mill began in 1923 and resulted in an influx of hundreds of people into the area. The increased demands on the church facilities in the Corner Brook area eventually led to the formation of new congregations and pastoral charges in Corner Brook. In 1948, the Humbermouth congregation also became a separate pastoral charge.

Currently, the pastoral charge is composed of congregations in Curling (Memorial) and Summerside (Bethany).

Created - April 11, 2013

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