The History of Ottawa East

George and Eleanor Mccullagh - Eleanor (Irwin) answered God's call to full time service while a teenager in Calvary. The Lord led her to London Bible Institute and it was there that she met George, who also had dedicated his life to full time service. They were married in 1967 in Calvary. After graduating from LBI they moved to Indiana where George attended Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, graduating in 1971. George pastored at Hope Baptist Church, London, Ont., and Mount Forest Baptist, Church, Mount Forest, Ontario. In 1978 they were accepted as missionary-appointees with A.B.W.E. and are presently doing deputation work. The McCul1aglls will be involved in medical evangelism, church planting, and teaching, in the Amazon Baptist Hospital, Brazil. George and Eleanor have two children - Stephen and Mark.

BUILDING PROJECTS
The building and renovating projects of Calvary Baptist Church, since its commencement in 1915, have been many and varied. As stated earlier in this booklet, the present lot was purchased in 1908 by the Ottawa Baptist Churches Board and the present building was erected in 1910 and used as a mission until 1915, known as the Ottawa East Baptist Mission.

The original building's axis was east and \vest with the pulpit and the baptistry on the east. The entrance on the west was central with a walkway from Main Street. In the early years, renovations were made changing the axis of the church to north and south, as it is today. The pulpit, bapistry and choir loft was on one level with the organ lowered and situated just behind the pulpit area. During these renovations, the entrance was changed to the north-west corner with walkways from Main and Evelyn Avenue.

The next major alterations were undertaken during the ministry of Pastor Dempster, totaling $32,000. In January 1942, a bequest from Mrs. D. McLean formed the nucleus of a Building Fund. Plans were drawn up for the remodeling of the building. At the morning service on the first Sunday of the New Year, 1944, the Pastor preached a special sermon with a view to stimulating this project. New interest was aroused and during the following four years the building fund grew by over $10,000. After some delay in obtaining a contractor, the Alex I. Garvock Construction Co., undertook the project and work began just before Christmas 1946. Work was completed in the spring of 1948 which entailed the lowering of the basement, kitchen and washroom facilities improved, new ceiling installed in the main auditorium, restructure of the pulpit and choir area, raising the baptistry and a new entrance, installation of oak pews. The pulpit, pews and choir-front all in oak, were purchased from the Globe Furnishing Co., Waterloo, Ontario. These greatly enhanced the beauty of the main auditorium. The background picture in the baptistry was painted by Mr. Nelson Trafford, one of the young people of the church.