A long time ago . . .
Bedford United Church can trace it's roots back to the Saddleback Ministry of Nathan Bangs who on August 18, 1804, preached his first Methodist service in the old courthouse (McKenzie Hall). He remarked, "A more destitute place I have never found. Young people had arrived at age of 16 and had never heard a gospel sermon."
Later . . .
1838 - The first Methodist church was built on Mill in Sandwich.
1874 - The church building was sold to Sandwich for a town hall (later a fire hall) and the congregation went to Windsor Methodist (Later Central United).
1904 - Services began again in Sandwich at private homes. In June, 1904, Rev. Robert Hicks at Windsor West Methodist Church (Calvary United) came to Sandwich to minister to them.
1906-1907 – The current red brick church building was built as Sandwich Methodist Church.
1918 –1921 - Bedford United Church was ministered by the gun-toting Methodist Minister, the Reverend J O L Spracklin. Notorius as “The Fighting Parson” during Prohibition, in 1918 the Reverend Spracklin was called to Sandwich Methodist Church. This was when prohibition of alcohol was the talk of the day for Spracklin and many others.
The Ontario Attorney-General hired Rev. Spracklin, among others, as a private alcohol prohibition enforcer. Many people thought the ‘good’ Reverent was mixing up enforcing Prohibition with his pastoral care. While he preached inside the church, he even had the congregations' vehicles searched for alcohol! On Halloween night, 1920, someone sprayed the manse with gunfire where he and his wife lived. Mrs. Spracklin escaped unharmed, but the Reverent was out for blood. He shot and killed Trumble, the proprietor of a local hotel and drinking establishment. Charged with manslaughter, he later won an acquittal in court where he claimed to have seen Trumble with a gun. With this decision, some questioned whether he should have been charged with murder, while others thought he might have been shooting in self defence. In any case, the Reverent Spracklin left the church in 1921. (This part of our history has been immortalized in the 'Rum Runner's Tour' where Bedford United Church is one of the stops brought to life by the cast of Encore Productions).
1925 – Amalgamation of many parts of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches formed the United Church of Canada. The church was then renamed Sandwich United Church.
1992 - The congregations of Sandwich United and Calvary United (The church at Elm and University) joined together here and the church was once again renamed, this time as Bedford United Church.
Later . . .
1838 - The first Methodist church was built on Mill in Sandwich.
1874 - The church building was sold to Sandwich for a town hall (later a fire hall) and the congregation went to Windsor Methodist (Later Central United).
1904 - Services began again in Sandwich at private homes. In June, 1904, Rev. Robert Hicks at Windsor West Methodist Church (Calvary United) came to Sandwich to minister to them.
1906-1907 – The current red brick church building was built as Sandwich Methodist Church.
1918 –1921 - Bedford United Church was ministered by the gun-toting Methodist Minister, the Reverend J O L Spracklin. Notorius as “The Fighting Parson” during Prohibition, in 1918 the Reverend Spracklin was called to Sandwich Methodist Church. This was when prohibition of alcohol was the talk of the day for Spracklin and many others.
The Ontario Attorney-General hired Rev. Spracklin, among others, as a private alcohol prohibition enforcer. Many people thought the ‘good’ Reverent was mixing up enforcing Prohibition with his pastoral care. While he preached inside the church, he even had the congregations' vehicles searched for alcohol! On Halloween night, 1920, someone sprayed the manse with gunfire where he and his wife lived. Mrs. Spracklin escaped unharmed, but the Reverent was out for blood. He shot and killed Trumble, the proprietor of a local hotel and drinking establishment. Charged with manslaughter, he later won an acquittal in court where he claimed to have seen Trumble with a gun. With this decision, some questioned whether he should have been charged with murder, while others thought he might have been shooting in self defence. In any case, the Reverent Spracklin left the church in 1921. (This part of our history has been immortalized in the 'Rum Runner's Tour' where Bedford United Church is one of the stops brought to life by the cast of Encore Productions).
1925 – Amalgamation of many parts of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches formed the United Church of Canada. The church was then renamed Sandwich United Church.
1992 - The congregations of Sandwich United and Calvary United (The church at Elm and University) joined together here and the church was once again renamed, this time as Bedford United Church.