St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
At the Corner of 20th Street and Spadina Crescent, Saskatoon, SK
Ninety-Five Years of Dedication
In 2020, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Saskatoon will be ninety-five years old.
In 1925 members of three congregations, who wished to remain distinct from the church union that had recently taken place in Canada, combined to produce a new Presbyterian congregation. They called their community of faith and tradition St. Andrew’s.
With dedication and determination, they set about growing their congregation in a new church building at the south-west corner of the intersection of 4th Avenue and 20th Street in the downtown. A congregation of about three hundred worshipped at that small church until 1951. At that time, with the future in view, they bought land and began building the church which still stands at 20th Street and Spadina Crescent. The first service was held in January 1953. Presbyterian worship has continued there unbroken to the present day.
A ministry of music was begun in the first church with a small organ. Then in the new church, in 1953, the Memorial Pipe Organ was installed and a choir was formed. The music has continued, upheld by talented musicians, ever since.
The fine oak furniture, the pulpit, the stained glass windows and all the fixtures and fittings of the church were gifts from devoted church members. The banner of St. Andrew and the Union Jack that hang in the church originated in the 1930s. The Canadian flag was added in the 1970s. The church building houses a church library, a large archive, an active church school and a kids’ club.
St. Andrew’s congregation has been served in its ninety-five years by ten Ministers of Word and Sacrament, over one hundred and fifty Elders, and dozens of dedicated members of the managing Board. Committees ranging from missions and outreach to pastoral care and Christian education are peopled by committed volunteers.
St. Andrew’s remains a vibrant community. Its outreach to the residents of 20th Street has always been important to the church. Saskatoon Native Circle Ministry and The Lighthouse Supportive Living centre are whole-heartedly supported by St. Andrew’s. The church is always interested in new ways of serving its community.
In the future, the congregation will continue to dedicate itself to its Mission Statement:
St. Andrew’s exists to proclaim the Gospel and to share the love of God
in our church and in our community
