Dr. Peter W. Philpott
1896-1922, Solid Bible Teaching
At the age of eighteen, Peter Wiley
Philpott, living with his widowed mother, accepted Christ at a meeting held by the
Salvation Army in Dresden, Ontario. His own mother was the first person whom he led to the
Lord. Soon he attained the office of Brigadier in the Salvation Army, serving until 1892.
It is interesting to note that Dr.
Philpott was a direct descendant of the original Irish settler of the Talbot Land Tract,
which includes the present site of London, Ontario.
In 1892, as administrator of Christian
Workers Missions', P. W. Philpott organized an evangelical work in Hamilton. In 1896 he
became the fourth pastor of this small group of believers. During his ministry in Hamilton
this small group grew significantly. Solid Bible teaching was the keynote to Dr.
Philpott's ministry. Dr. Philpott became recognized as one of Canada's most outstanding
preachers. It is interesting to note that early in his ministry he was regarded as an
"intruder" in the clerical world.
Dr. Philpott was interested in
establishing a Bible training school in Hamilton. There was a Bible Institute associated
with the Tabernacle until 1913 when it was decided to discontinue it due to other Bible
institutes opening in the area.
There are many who have fond memories of
the days of Mr. Philpott at the church. "His booming voice filled the sanctuary from
lower floor to the centre dome. No sound system was needed in those days", one of the
early members reminisced.
During Dr. Philpott's tenure, there were
several assistant pastors, including Revs. Norman, Atkinson, Dobson, and Parrett. During
1912, Mr. George Eadie served as an associate pastor until he accepted a call to Scranton
Avenue Free Baptist Church in Cleveland. For a short time, beginning in August 1912, Mr.
Loose served as associate pastor. During the summer of 1913, Mr. Davis was the pastor's
assistant. In 1921, Rev. W. Thompson became assistant pastor with responsibility for the
West Hamilton Mission.
Rev. T.F. Barker served as assistant
pastor and interim pastor from February 1922 to September 1923, before moving to
Cleveland. He had previously served as a missionary to Turkey and was known for his work
among immigrants in the City. He was instrumental in the establishment and continuing
witness of the Cosmopolitan Mission on James Street North, the Brightside Mission on Gage
Avenue, and the City Mission in the north end of the City.
In 1922, after twenty-six years as the
pastor of the Gospel Tabernacle, Dr. P.W. Philpott accepted a call to become the pastor of
Moody Memorial Church in Chicago. Prior to this time, he had turned down other calls,
including one to Tremont Temple in Boston in 1921. Dr. Philpott stated that a "true
call from the Lord would be a pull from the front and a kick from the rear". Later,
he served as pastor of the Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles.
Although Dr. Philpott "retired"
in 1932, he returned to the Tabernacle as interim pastor between the ministries of Rev.
William Ward Ayer and Rev. Donald MacKay. During the 1950s he served as associate pastor
of the People's Church in Toronto. Shortly before his death Dr. Philpott was asked how
many sermons he had preached. He said he had not kept track but he estimated that it was
about 22,000, the first one due to the scheduled speaker not arriving.
Mrs. Philpott, the former Jessie Stuart
Menzies, was born in Brampton, Ontario. She and Mr. Philpott met in Port Hope at a
Salvation Army Convention. They were married in 1887 in Palmerston, Ontario. She had
attained the rank of captain in the Salvation Army. At times, in the absence of Dr.
Philpott, she taught the mid-week Bible class at the Tabernacle. Mrs. Philpott was a
well-known speaker to women's groups in Hamilton, Chicago and Los Angeles. The Philpotts
were proud of the accomplishments of their thirteen children, eight boys and five girls.
One daughter, Ruth, served as deaconess at the Gospel Tabernacle for a time and also as a
missionary to India. One son, Elmore, a Member of Parliament for Vancouver South, was also
a well-known newspaper columnist. Wilbur was a newspaper publisher who began his career
with the Hamilton Spectator. Dorothy was a Toronto artist, Murray was manager of the
Sarnia arena, Florence was a social worker, and Stuart was a physician in Montreal.
In 1952 at the time of the Philpott's 65th
wedding anniversary 12 children, 25 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren were in
attendance.
Dr. Philpott was a sports enthusiast. He
enjoyed fishing and baseball in his spare time. He could be depended on to know the latest
scores in hockey and major league baseball. He coached his sons in baseball, in fact he
and his eight sons had their own baseball. He instilled in all of his children the
importance of fair play at all times. Dr. Philpott enjoyed fishing in his latter years.
The Little Mission That Grew:
The early Years of Philpott Memorial Church and her founder, Dr. P.W. Philpott.
- Dr. Peter W. Philpott, 1896-1922, Solid Bible Teaching
- Rev. James MacFarlane, 1923-1926, Evangelism
- Dr. Hottel, 1926-1928, Christian Education
- Dr. Louis Talbot, 1929-1932, Love
- Dr. William Ward Ayer, 1932-1936, Organizational Development
- Rev. Donald Mackay, from 1938 to 1943, Pastor
- Dr. Peter Hoogendam, 1943-1956, Bible Teaching
- Rev. Alex B. Stein, 1957-1975, Outreach
- Dr. Arthur Paterson Lee, 1976-1979, Brotherly Love
- Rev. Lewis H. Worrad Jr., 1981-1992, Bible Teaching
