Author: E B

Introduction 

The British Methodist Episcopal Church. A building. A community. A forgotten relic of the past. A monument to a history of blackness in a city that is unaware it exists. A site where bishops, female ministers, and settlers established a symbol of black identity. This place, known familiarly as the BME church, embodies the spirit of Guelph’s black community. 

The story of the BME church did not begin from a unified community. Fragmented by racial segregation, black settlers came to Guelph in the mid-19th century as a result of limited employment and housing opportunities throughout Ontario. Driven to establish a sense of community, these early settlers aimed to create a new identity for black individuals that had been racially oppressed. John S. Brooks, an early settler of the Queen’s Bush Settlement, contributed to the cultivation of black identity in Guelph through his efforts to organize populations and churches scattered throughout the province. Brooks realized that organization of donations was necessary in order to sustain the funding for black churches throughout Ontario. His piecing together of various black populations in the province illustrates a unification of a black community that had been fragmented by racial segregation. Through their efforts to oppose racial division, these early settlers contributed to an identity of black presence that allowed for the development of the BME church.

Overcoming racially-imposed hardship was a challenge the early Guelph settlers were well familiar with.  Members of the Queen’s Bush Settlement – the community from which the church was established – had previously experienced difficulties in obtaining property ownership in predominantly white Ontarian cities. Despite their limited resources and restricted ownership opportunities, however, the Guelph settlers succeeded in obtaining a legal land claim. This claim, lot 383, would become the home of the BME church when it was formed on 83 Essex St in 1880.  The group’s achievement represents not only the success of a unified black Guelph community, but also a legally recognized claim to the BME church. The congregation’s influence within the city of Guelph embodied the church’s objective, which aimed to overcome racial barriers and assert black presence. 

In the unifying process cultivated by the BME church, several iconic leaders emerged that would further demonstrate the group’s ability to thrive within Guelph. Just as the church overcame racial obstacles to land ownership, individuals such as Addie Aylestock and Walter Hawkins overcame racist attitudes to achieve significant process for black development in Canada. Aylestock and Hawkins exemplified models of excellence by challenging racist conventions that posited peoples of black culture as incapable of achievements. Hawkins, a preacher who rose to the rank of bishop in the late-19^th century, dedicated himself to furthering his status within the BME church. Similarly, Aylestock dedicated her life in servitude to the church, becoming the first black woman ordained in Canada as well as a deaconess in 1959. In achieving their positions, Hawkins and Aylestock demonstrated that black individuals living in Ontario could pursue achievements despite racist attitudes that attempted to deprive them of opportunities. Together, their body of work championed the liberation of black people, united the black community, and gave shape to the BME church.  

The developing black identity modeled by the BME church led to its increasing role within the Guelph community. Because individuals such as Hawkins and Aylestock forged a stronger black presence within the city of Guelph, the church was able to engage in citywide events such as Tag Day.

Tag Day, an event where citizens would provide the church with a donation in exchange for a tag to wear, allowed the organization to sustain itself through funding. The event integrated the BME church with the greater population of Guelph, and was officially recognized by city officials. As an occasion where the church utilized its influence to obtain a larger community outreach, Tag Day illustrates the growing significance of the church. The city of Guelph’s official acknowledgment of the church not only signifies its importance to the history of Ontario, but also situates the BME church as a monument unique to the municipality of Guelph.  

The British Methodist Episcopal Church did not achieve its position without struggle. Its members came from communities fragmented by segregation and oppressed by racial discrimination. It is out of this separation, however, that a unified black identity was formed. Leaders such as Aylestock and Hawkins surfaced, challenging racial stereotypes that had existed in Ontario for years. Settlers like John S. Brooks obtained legally-recognized land ownership, an accomplishment that was previously unimaginable for black Canadians. Moreover, an integration with the city was achieved when segregation of black cultures had made such a feat impossible. These achievements undeniably position the BME church as one of the most important historical sites in the city of Guelph.