William Boyd Stewart


William Boyd Stewart was a pastor, writer, and educator in the Baptist denomination of Canada.

Background

William Boyd Stewart was born the son of Alexander and Jane Stewart. After finishing university he emigrated to Canada in 1856. Stewart married Augusta A. Kilborn at Beamsville, Ontario on 28 February 1860. Together they had four daughters:
Stewart studied at the Annan Academy and later at the University of Glasgow in his native Scotland. Later in 1860 he was entered into an ad eundem degree at the University of Rochester. At some later date Stewart was awarded the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree.

Pastorates

Prior to October 1859 Stewart served in the pastorate of Beamsville Baptist Church in Beamsville, Ontario and was ordained in 1859. After this he served at Cheltenham Baptist Church in Cheltenham, Ontario from October 1859 until June 1860 when he left to take up a teaching position at the Canadian Literary Institute in Woodstock.
Stewart re-entered the ministry at First Baptist Church Brantford, Ontario beginning August 1863 to May, 1869. During his pastorate Americus Vespucius Timpany was ordained for the missionary work in Kakinada, India in October, 1867. During 1869 Stewart was called to be assistant pastor of Bond Street Baptist Church in Toronto, Ontario but immediately assumed the full pastorate upon the death of Thomas Ford Caldicott. He served in the capacity of Pastor until May 1872 citing ill health.
Sometime after leaving Bond Street Stewart served as pastor of Park Street Baptist Church, Hamilton, Ontario during the latter 1870s.
Stewart served as Interim Pastor at Parliament Street Baptist Church from the fall of 1893-early 1894. He also served in various interim or fill-in capacities throughout the Toronto area Baptist churches including Zion Baptist, Eglinton throughout the time period from 1894-1900.

Teaching

William Stewart taught high school shortly after his arrival in Canada. From 1860-1863 he became the Professor of Classics at the Canadian Literary Institute. In 1869 he was appointed the superintendent of the schools for Brantford.
From 1890-1892 Stewart served as Principal of Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. Somewhere around this time he also served as the principal of a "Theological College" in Nashville, Tennessee.
Stewart served from 1894 to 1911 in various offices of the Toronto Bible Training Institute including serving as the first principal and later in 1906 as secretary.. He also served as a teacher.

Accomplishments

Stewart served on various committees of the Baptist Convention including the French Regular Baptist Missionary Society, The Church Edifice Society, and The Foreign Mission Society. During the 1870s until 1876 Stewart served as Secretary for the Home Mission Board.
From the late 1860s until 1882 William Stewart served as Editor for the Canadian Baptist.

Beliefs

Stewart taught against 'modern dancing'. He also espoused the more traditional Premillennial viewpoint.