L’Amable Church was built first as a Presbyterian Church on the crest of the Old L’Amable hill. It’s spire could be seen on a sunny day as far away as Hermon. The community of L’Amable began to grow in the early 1800’s and families were opening their homes to share in worship. What was needed for these growing families was a proper place of worship where all might go and be spiritually nourished. Many families contributed to the reality of this place of worship as the community came together starting in 1879 on land donated by J.R. Tait to build the L’Amable church which was completed in 1881. it is said that Henry Gaebel morgaged his farm for $800 so that the church could be completed.
When you enter this church today you can sense the passion of those early families that with care constructed a welcoming and loving space. The hand hewn rafters and pews that are still being used today are a testament of their work. At times especially during the years of the first and second world wars the church faced some difficult challenges and was no longer able to hold services.
In 1925 with the union of the Methodist and Presbyterian congregations the church became St. Andrew’s L’Amable United Church. In 1951 several families came together to complete much needed repairs to the building and the church again became a meeting place for worship and a vital part of the community. In 1969 St. Andrew’s L’Amable United Church became part of the Bancroft-Carlow Pastoral Charge.
Over the years there has been times that the church has had limited service times. In Dec. 2010 after much discussion and a decline in attendance the last regular meeting at St. Andrew’s United Church was held. Under the guidance of Rev. Lynn Watson of the Bancroft-Carlow Pastoral Charge we felt the church still could play a role in the community. Over the summer months events are taking place in the church. These events include the use of a Labyrinth in the space, Strawberry Social with music, a Blessing of the Animals and a Gospel Sing. The church is also still available for Weddings and Funerals.
Many of us have a strong family connection to this church in L’Amable and will continue to hope that the church will provide a meeting place in the future