North Bedeque Pastoral Charge of the United Church of Canada

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North Bedeque Pastoral Charge of the United Church of Canada

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The North Bedeque pastoral charge of the United Church of Canada reflects the geographical areas and religious denominations of the area that came together in 1925 to form the United Church of Canada as well as the shifting boundaries of denominational circuits before and after that date. As well as the Bedeque Presbyterian congregation this includes Methodist and Presbyterian charges from Freetown and Presbyterian records from the Richmond Bay East, or Central Lot 16, Presbyterian churches.

Reverend Thomas Payne arrived in Bedeque in 1821. A deed for the Bedeque Methodist church was drawn up in 1823, but was not built until 1849. The Bedeque circuit at that time extended from DeSable to Linkletter's shore and included Travellers Rest. The Wesleyan Chapel in Freetown was built on land purchased from Edmund and Sarah Ann Crosby and opened officially in 1864. It was part of the Bedeque circuit until 1893 when it was moved to the Margate circuit. In 1925, the Freetown Methodist Church became part of the North Bedeque United Church of Canada pastoral charge. The present Bedeque United Church was formerly the Methodist church built in 1887 and dedicated on 8 January 1888.

In 1810, the Princetown Presbyterian parish also included Richmond Bay and Bedeque. Both of the latter charges became separate parishes in 1819. By 1891 the Bedeque circuit was known as the Bedeque Summerfield Congregation which included North and South Bedeque, Summerfield, and Freetown. From 1908 to 1925 it was called the Bedeque Presbyterian congregation.

By 1853, the Richmond charge extended thirty-three miles from Lot 11 to Travelers Rest. Lots 14 and 16 were the two principal preaching stations with others at Summerside and St. Eleanors. In 1859, the charge was divided into Richmond Bay East and Richmond Bay West, which were rejoined in 1873, then divided yet again in 1881.

With the formation of the United Church in 1925, Richmond Bay East became a separate United congregation and Richmond Bay West joined the Tyne Valley Presbyterian church. In 1959, Richmond Bay East became associated with Princetown and formed the Princetown-Lot Sixteen pastoral charge. Lot Sixteen disjoined again in 1964, and remained independent until 1968 when it was amalgamated with the North Bedeque Pastoral charge of the United Church of Canada.

Annual reports from Union on record the name of the charge as: United Church of Canada, North Bedeque & Freetown (1927-1948); North Bedeque, Freetown and Travellers Rest (1949-1967); North Bedeque, Freetown, Lot 16 (1968-1971). Since 1972 it has been called the North Bedeque Pastoral Charge.

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