The history of the beautiful ISKCON Temple
The Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, subsequently Avenue Road Presbyterian Church, subsequently Avenue Road United Church and later Church of the Nazarene, was a church located on Avenue Road on the northeastern corner of Roxborough Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
A number of well known preachers served in its pulpit after it passed out of the
hands of the Presbyterian and United Churches, including Charles Templeton of
the later Church of the Nazarene and the famous author Aiden Wilson Tozer.
Designed by Gordon & Helliwell, the building was originally the Presbyterian
Church of the Covenant; aptly named in contrast to the Anglican Church of the Messiah
across the street (which was also designed and built by Gordon & Helliwell) a few
years earlier, was built in 1899. The Presbyterian congregation (renamed Avenue
Road Presbyterian Church in 1902), joined the United Church of Canada in 1925.
In the mid-1970s, the growing congregation left the downtown area to found
Bayview Glen Church north of the city in Thornhill, Ontario. During the
congregation’s move, there was controversy surrounding the sale of the
church building to a buyer who secretly represented a Hare Krishna group.
Despite the church’s desire that the building not be sold to the group,
it has since become one of the most popular Hare Krishna places
of worship in Ontario.
The ISKCON Temple continues to provide spiritual and devotional services to a larger
community of Hare Krishna devotees and followers.
