Leslie Clay was born at Bedeque, P.E.I, on November 12, 1863, d. 1928

Head of the Presbyterian Church of Canada.

He graduated from McGill in 1887, winning the Prince of Wales Gold Medal in Mental and Moral Science.

Philosophy. In 1890, he completed his theological studies at Presbyterian College, Montreal, winning the gold medal for general proficiency. Following graduation, his first charge was at Morris, Manitoba and later at St Andrew’s Church in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. In 1894, he was called to St Andrew’s, Victoria and remained there for nearly thirty-four years.

Win (Winifred) Thomas, a member of the congregation who knew the Clays well, described family life in these terms:

“Dr. and Mrs. Clay came from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, travelling by rail to Vancouver and by ship to Victoria. They had with them their daughter, a toddler and an 18-month-old son who was recovering from rheumatic fever and had to be carried on a pillow. Mrs. Clay, at that time, was expecting her third child. Trains and boats in the 1890s were significantly slower than today’s conveyances, making the journey tedious. To add to the problems, the engine broke down somewhere en route, and the passengers had to walk a considerable distance and wait until another train was sent to pick them up. Arriving in Victoria, the family lived in temporary quarters and later purchased land on Linden Ave. opposite Burdett St., where they built their home. At that time, no other houses existed between the Clay residence and the waterfront! Ministers then received a $5.00 fee for weddings, and Dr. Clay turned this money over to his wife, who saved it to install hardwood floors in the drawing room, the adjacent library and the large square hall.

These floors are still lovely after all the years of use. When the family entertained at parties, the rugs were rolled up, sliding doors were opened between the rooms, and the polished floors were excellent for dancing. Dr. Clay took special responsibility for the ‘wallflowers’, asking them to dance, his dress tails flying out as he whirled about the floor. At breakfast the morning after the parties, family members were taken to task if they had been so absorbed in their enjoyment that they had not been sufficiently attentive to the quieter guests. That is a good lesson to learn. The family also had to help polish those floors after such a party.

An interesting feature of that home was that Dr. Clay periodically entertained the local Clergy for dinner, where discussion and exchange of ideas was the order of the evening. The guests included representatives from various Protestant denominations, Catholic priests, bishops, and Jewish rabbis. Indeed, the Catholic Bishop was among Dr. Clay’s closest friends. This would not be unusual now, but it was in Dr. Clay’s time, and he must have been an open-minded man for that era.” (1)

In 1913, his alma mater awarded him an honorary Doctorate and in 1927, he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.

Throughout his career, he took a prominent role in the church’s higher courts and, for over twenty years, served as the Chair of Home Missions for British Columbia. In 1925, when discussions took place regarding church union at the BC Synod, he was a leader of the minority group that argued for the continuation of the Presbyterian Church and against joining the United Church. Immediately thereafter, he was elected Moderator of the Synod of British Columbia. Following legislation establishing the United Church in British Columbia, he played a conciliatory role as the Chairman of the Property Commission, which oversaw the division of church assets. In 1927, he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly, the church’s highest office. He died in Winnipeg on Feb 2, 1928, en route to Ottawa to attend the opening of Parliament. His death was front-page news in Victoria, with tributes from throughout the community and from all faiths(2). His obituary in the report of the 1928 General Assembly concluded with these words:

“The Presbyterian Church in Canada may well thank God for such a servant, the congregation of St Andrew’s Church for such a minister, the city of Victoria for such a citizen, and the large circle of his more intimate associates for such a friend, ‘A man greatly beloved.'” (3)

Church Financial Challenges: The euphoria over the opening of the new church was short-lived. Robert Dunsmuir had died in 1889, shortly before the church was opened. Although the church received its magnificent stained-glass windows on the Douglas Street wall as a memorial, one of the church’s strongest financial backers was gone. A second and even more devastating blow came in 1892 with the sudden death of John Robson. At his death, Robson held almost $60,000 of the congregation’s debt. At the same time, the city’s overall economic situation deteriorated. The Board of Managers felt it essential to cut costs and targeted the minister’s stipend. Although Rev McLeod initially agreed to a substantial cut, a messy dispute erupted when the board sought further concessions. Ultimately, McLeod resigned in frustration. (5) After an unsuccessful attempt to start a new congregation, and returned to Scotland.

In 1894, the church called the young Rev. Leslie Clay, the congregation’s first Canadian-born minister, into this near-desperate situation. During his early years, his pay was only 60% of his predecessor’s, and it was often irregular. Despite these challenges, his irrepressible faith and love of life soon won him a place in the hearts of the congregation and the community. By 1916, the church was debt-free on the congregation’s 50th anniversary, and Rev Clay could preside over the burning of the mortgage. He continued as the minister of St Andrew’s until he died in 1928. (6)

The Church at the end of the Victoria Era

The end of the Victorian era in 1901 saw a very different church in a very different city. The city had grown from the small capital of a British Colony on the fringes of the Empire to the capital of British Columbia. Muddy streets and hastily thrown-together boom town buildings, along with sailing ships, had given way to pavement, electric streetlights, a rail link to Nanaimo, telephones, and a bustling harbour dominated by steam power. The church had expanded from a small Scots meeting in a temporary hall to a growing congregation that had played a pivotal role in spreading the Presbyterian Church throughout the province. St Andrew’s was the common link for some of Victoria’s most prominent citizens. The Church in the heart of Victoria shared good times and bad with the growing city. While the members of St Andrew’s built their community of faith, they also contributed to the economic, social, and political life of their community and province.