North Preston celebrated the church’s 170th anniversary with a number of events that culminated with a special mass choir service on Sunday. Members of the community explain the importance of the church.
Saint Thomas Baptist ‘will always be my church,’ says 81-year-old resident
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Viola Cain has been going to Saint Thomas Baptist Church in North Preston, N.S., her whole life — just like her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother did.
When Cain was younger, the church had only one row of seats and didn’t have a furnace to keep congregants warm. Still, it was at the centre of the community, both geographically and historically, serving as a place where neighbours could pray, gather and socialize.
While the space has changed since then, for Cain, it remains the spiritual home she grew up in.
“My great-grandparents, they kept it the way it is now,” said the 81-year-old. “That church will always be my church and I always respect the church the way that I was brought up.”
The church celebrated its 170th anniversary this past weekend, with a number of events through the week leading up to a special mass choir service on Sunday.
Cain said music has always been central to the church’s spirit, and it holds a special place in her heart.
“The singing and the praying was the most important thing to me as a little girl.”
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Cain said the church is especially meaningful to her because it is something the community collectively owns.
“As long as the church is there and the Lord gives me my health and strength, that is my home.”
Saint Thomas Baptist Church, founded in 1856 by Rev. Richard Preston, an abolitionist and religious leader from Virginia, is deeply rooted in Nova Scotia’s Black history.
North Preston is the largest Black community in the province. Many residents in North Preston and surrounding historic Black communities trace their lineage back more than 200 years to the Black Loyalists and Jamaican Maroons.
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Rev. Jivaro Smith also grew up in the church with his family. His grandmother was a president of the ladies auxiliary and his grandfather at one point served as an usher.
It was his grandfather who encouraged a young Smith to become a pastor in the church, which he did in 2024.
“He saw that call on me at a young age just singing in the choir,” Smith said. “I can think back on it and just bring such joy.”
To Smith, the milestone anniversary honours the contributions of past generations while inspiring younger members to carry their traditions forward.
“We are a church, a beacon of hope. And that’s what we want to portray to every person that calls North Preston home, but not only North Preston, but Preston Township and the surrounding areas,” he said.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Giuliana is an award-winning journalist in Nova Scotia interested in fisheries, rural communities, the environment, and more. Got a story idea? Email it at giuliana.grillo.de.lambarri@cbc.ca.
