200 Years of Resilience, Perseverance, and Community

First Baptist Church Toronto

The journey of First Baptist Church Toronto has been one of resilience and perseverance. Created in 1826, it is the first—and oldest—Black church in Toronto and was home to the city’s first Baptist congregation.

When church founders Elder Washington Christian and 11 runaway enslaved people fled north from the U.S. through the Underground Railroad in their quest for freedom, they followed the “drinking gourd” to Canada, which they saw as a promising, new land of opportunity. A native of Virginia, Elder had been ordained in the Abyssinia Baptist Church in New York in 1822.

Their worship meetings began on the shores of Lake Ontario or at the homes of members. Later, they met in a building on Lombard Street and had a mix of Black and white congregants; the white members subsequently left for a different church, which had a predominantly white membership. In 1841, Elder Christian and the Black church members moved to Queen Street and Victoria Street (now home to St. Michael’s Hospital), where the church was known as “First Coloured Calvinistic Baptist Church” or “Queen Street Coloured Baptist Church,” The land was a gift from the family of Squires McCutcheon.

Eventually, in 1905, they moved to University Avenue and Edward Street in the neighbourhood known as The Ward, at which point the church was known as “University Avenue Baptist Church.” In the 1940s, they began using the name “First Baptist Church” and in 1955, moved to their current location at Huron and D’Arcy streets.

Determined to be a cornerstone in the community, First Baptist Church Toronto remains committed to building on the legacy of the courage, vision and contributions to society of its founders. Led by Rev. Dr. Wendell Gibbs, the church continues to share the story of its history and the contributions of Canada’s Black community to society. This year, the church will celebrate its 200th anniversary.