Deep River Free Methodist Church

Ironically, the Deep River Free Methodist Church grew out of a Bible study group that was examining the possibility of establishing a Free Methodist Church in Petawawa. In the late 1960s, Rev. Marion Gilmer of the Cobden Free Methodist Church had organized children’s meetings in a Petawawa school. When Rev. Gilmer’s successor was unsuccessful in continuing his predecessor’s work with children, a meeting was held in 1975 to determine the prospects for continuing Free Methodist work in Petawawa. Out of that meeting came the Bible study group that was to be the origin of the Deep River Free Methodist Church.

The group, which originally had the goal of establishing a church in Petawawa, began to consider Deep River as a possible site after several families from Deep River became regular attendees. In 1978, Rev. Mary Gilford, the new pastor of Cobden Free Methodist Church, began attending the evening Bible studies and expressed interest in Deep River as a site for ministry. A rapid series of events led to the founding of the Deep River Society on June 6, 1979. The group held its first public meeting in the Community Church on September 9, 1979.

After a period in which she performed Sunday morning services in Cobden and evening services in Deep River, Rev. Gifford was appointed full time to Deep River in July 1981. Upon retiring in July 1982, Rev. Gifford was succeeded by Rev. Sterling Cooper (1982-1985), Rev. Wayne Leard (1985-1988), Rev. Earle Hawley (1988-1994), Rev. Dave Naylor (1994-1998), and finally Rev. Dean Babcock (1998-2009). The Deep River Free Methodist Church closed August 31, 2009.