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2 With the Union of the Bible Christian and Methodist Churches in 1884, the newly formed Methodist Church had a combined membership of 147. Pickering Village at this time had a population of 1 ,000) . Much of the success of Methodism can be attributed to the fact that it was unique in its day for its high standards of personal and family life. The influence of Methodism in Pickeringwas felt early in its history by its advocacy of the Temperance Movement both in its teachings and in its support of the Scott Act and later Local Option. There were other factors too, which catered into its success, such as the self-denying labors of its local preachers, of whom the Pickering Methodist Church was most fortunate in having men of exceptional ability. Foremost of these was Mr. Brereton Bunting, J.P., a former Bible Christian who preached regularly Sunday after Sunday for over fifty years until advancing years curtailed his preaching. Secondly, the Pickering Methodist Church was a singing church and was always noted for the excellence of its organist and choir, largely attributable to the coming of the Law family to the Village in 1882. The Law's were a musical family and mention must be made of the Misses Hattie and Nellie who were church organists in the Presbyterian- and Methodist -Churches respectively for half a century. Other reasons for its success were, the strength of the Sunday School with particular emphasis on the Adult Bible Class, the Epworth League, a very active organization among the young people and finally but certainly not the least, the hard working and devoted women of the Ladies Aid whose famous Harvest Home suppers were without equal throughout the countryside. The Pickering Methodist Church entered whole-heartedly into Church Union in 1925, changing its name to St. Pauls United Church, thus ending over one hundred years of Methodism in Pickering Village first as the Wesleyan Methodist Church, then as the Canadian Methodist Church and lastly as the Methodist Church in Pickering. JULY, 1974 Leslie M. Morley