To the pioneer folk of Upper and Lower Canada—Loyalists, "late" Loyalists, and the hordes of land-seekers—living in what seemed like religious destitution, various American Baptist missionary associations in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York State sent missionary preachers in the decade after 1800. Numerous small churches were established, but the War of 1812 disturbed these efforts, and much of the missionary activity itself had to be abandoned for an interval. This may well have stimulated the co-operation which had already appeared before the war between Canadian Baptist communities. Out of this co-operation were to develop conferences and associations of Canadian Baptist churches, until by 1820 all were members of Canadian groups. By 1818 travelling missionaries from the United States had almost ceased to visit; the Canadian churches had begun to raise up ministers from among their own members.

In this very complete investigation of early Baptist history in Canada, assembled from a wide variety of sources, every separate group has been recorded and its development traced, and all available information has been coordinated for the missionaries and ministers who served the groups. The book is a veritable encyclopaedia of early Baptist history and will be invaluable to future students of Baptist history in general. This study of a developing cultural tradition strikingly parallels the struggle to master the physical features of a new land.

Stuart Ivison was the longest serving minister of First Baptist Church, Ottawa beginning in 1932 till 1972. From 1941 till 1946 he served as a chaplain with the Canadian army. He published widely on devotional  and historical subjects during his career.br?

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Fred Rosser was the Director of the Division of Administration of the National Research Council. He published scientific and historical papers, as well as popular articles on the work of the National Research Council.

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