Lyons Memorial History

The history of Lyons Memorial United Church is steeped in a tradition of different congregations coming together to form new churches. The lovely stone building of Lyons Memorial United Church was built by a small Methodist group in the mid 1880’s and named Methodist Lyons Memorial Church after their first permanent minister, Rev. A. P. Lyons. In 1911 the Methodist and Presbyterian churches began discussing a church union and in 1917 The Methodist Lyons Memorial Church and St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church came together to form The Union Church. The new denomination of the United Church of Canada came into being in 1925 and The Union Church in Gore Bay became Lyons Memorial United Church.

Increasing numbers of church goers necessitated the building of a church hall which was completed in 1956 and named the Robert Robinson Memorial Hall after Robert Robinson who served the church under its various names for more than half a century.

Over time, smaller congregations is areas around Gore Bay joined with Lyons Memorial including the Scotland congregation from the East Bluff in 1952 and the Gordon and Barrie Island churches in 1970.

Lyons Memorial United Church continues in the tradition of being a warm and welcoming place of worship and gathering in Gore Bay.