A vision for the future of St. Peter’s Church

The Friends of St. Peter’s believe that with a proper Management Plan and committed leadership, St. Peter’s can be a part of our lives and the lives of future generations for years to come. We believe that St. Peter’s facilities can once again become an accessible hub for both Estonian and local community activities in Toronto.

We are confident that the St. Peter’s community, once given an opportunity to assess all the issues, will show that it shares this vision of St. Peter’s future and will participate in it actively. We are heartened by the fact that over 676 people have to date signed our on-line petition to save the church. We encourage everyone who has not yet done so to show their support by signing the petition whether they belong to our church or not at: https://www.change.org ­ /p/vote-no-if-you-are-against-the-relocation-of-the-columbarium-and-sale-of-the-church-save-st-peter-s-estonian-lutheran-church-of-toronto-canada

Pastor Puhm was proud of our accomplishments as a congregation. In 1958 he wrote: “It is with gladness in our hearts, that here on foreign soil we have been able to establish our own congregation and church in our mother-tongue. Stretching toward the heavens, this building is not only a religious temple, but also a national building – where all which is familiar, holy and dear to us, we may teach and bequeath to our children.” “Rõõmustame südamest, et ka võõral pinnal oleme võinud rajada oma emakeelse kogudse ja kiriku. See taeva poole sirutav hoone pole mitte üksi usuline tempel, vaid ka rahvuslik koda – kus me tohime kõike, mis meile on omane, püha ja kallis, õpetada ja pärandada oma lastele.”

A Heritage Designation, which the Friends of St. Peter’s support, has been applied for our church. With its unique architecture, it was designed to be a manifestation of the indomitable courage and iron determination of our forebearers to resist the brutal despotism that drove them from their homes and is once again devastating the lives of millions in Eastern Europe. In our view, this is the time to protect rather than abandon our cultural icons, the symbols of faith and freedom.

We ask you to join us in that effort, to help convince the Heritage Planners that it should be designated. https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/st-peters-heritage-designation

We need all members, past, and present, and all our friends and community members to support this designation, regardless of where you live now. Please support the Heritage Designation Application to ensure the future protection of this architectural and historic gem.

We are a growing group of resolute individuals who care and believe in the future of our church. We are proud to be part of the effort to save St. Peter’s.

We are not exclusive to our church or the congregation membership. We welcome all like-minded people to join with us in the project of ensuring the secure future of St. Peter’s. We acknowledge the support of 676 people, to date, who have signed the petition to save the church. We hope that some of you will take the next step to become a “Friend of St. Peter’s.”

You can find more details about us on our website www. friends-of-st-peters.com

We look to you to help us create the vision for our church which best fits our needs. Please share your vision for the church by e-mailing us at savepeetrikirik@gmail.com

Proposed so far by people interested in rejuvenating the church:

• Make the church a living and growing part of our community

• Honour the memory of our forebearers whose perseverance is our bedrock

• Celebrate the traditions and Christian values that define us

• Inspire worship, spiritual growth, and learning that is relevant to our times

• Make the church relevant to the surrounding neighbourhood

• Foster an open and welcoming church that serves the needs of all congregants by integrating and embracing the whole family

• Nurture a culture of inclusiveness with programming for people of all ages

• Seek opportunities to optimize the usage and income potential of church facilities

• Engage the resourcefulness, energy, and talents of community members to realize the goal of creating a sustainable community church that ensures its future viability

• Support the Heritage designation application to ensure the future protection of this architectural and historic gem

Let us begin the transformation process together. We will use your input to help define our vision and our objective. The action plan to achieve this comes next. Please support us by e-mailing us to help fulfill our vision. Volunteer to help.

e-mail us at savepeetrikirik@ gmail.com

ILO-KATRYN MAIMETS, TIINA JENKINS, TIIU ROISER, TOOMAS TREI, NICK CHOROWIEC, VÄINO EINOLA, TOM ARGET