In 2017, Whitby is home to many faith communities, including significant Muslim and Jewish communities. The images in this panel represent some of the religious centres in the town. Additionally, this panel provides a short history of early faith communities in Whitby.

Early Faith Communities in Whitby

The majority of early Whitby settlers had no religious affiliation for many decades, a fact which may come as surprising given the abundance of faith communities in the region in 2017. In 1842, 73% of Whitby’s population identified themselves as having no religious affiliation, according to documents cited by historian Leo A. Johnson (History of the County of Ontario, 77). One factor which may explain this statistic is the relative poverty and isolation experienced by Whitby settlers, who struggled to establish congregations capable of erecting buildings and supporting resident ministers. Additionally, in the early 1800s Anglican and Catholic ministers tended to avoid serving the rural communities of Ontario, instead focusing their efforts in larger population centres like Toronto. Some historians have speculated that these ministers avoided towns like Whitby as a result of class prejudice.

Some of Whitby’s largest early faith communities during this time were Quakers and Methodists, who practiced lay ministry. Methodist ministers rode circuits throughout rural Ontario to “carry the gospel” to the people. Methodists also offered open-air camp meetings in small towns, which served as important social gatherings. Presbyterian ministers also rode circuits. In 1833, the first place of worship established in Whitby was a Presbyterian church helmed by Reverend R.H. Thornton.

As time went on, and with increasing immigration from diverse settlers, more places of worship were established in the town. In 1851, 15 places of worship existed in Whitby Township and Oshawa village. By 1861, only 233 Whitby residents identified themselves as “religiously unaffiliated.”