The Pilgrim Baptist Church was founded in 1924 in the Point Douglas area of Winnipeg to serve the city’s Black railway porters among others. Known originally as Hill’s Memorial Baptist Church, recognizing the role of visiting American cleric Joseph Tyler Hill (1877-1950) in its founding, the church received its present name in 1928. After holding services at several locations, in May 1939 it occupied its present home at 41 Maple Street, the former Maple Street Mission and hall of the Point Douglas Presbyterian Church.
Now the oldest Black church in Winnipeg, Pilgrim Baptist continues to be a hub for the Black community. In 2024, it received a MHS Centennial Organization Award from President Dan Furlan.
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: Robert James “Bob” Harris (1934-2019)
“Colored divine brings message to city church,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 August 1922, page 2.
Joseph Tyler Hill, FindAGrave.
This page was prepared by Christian Cassidy, Dan Furlan, and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 13 February 2025
