In the early days of the province, church services were held in a variety of buildings - courthouses, stores, homes and even taverns - until it was possible to erect a church building by the subscription and labour of a congregation.

While settlers were interested in raising funds to build a church, this meant increased hardship and sacrifice, especially in the early days. A traditional story relates that an old woman told the community to go ahead and begin, because "Providence would provide." The name stayed.

This small log church was built in a widely spread community of mixed denominations, and as a result was made available to any preacher who came into the area. Usually, this was the Methodist circuit rider, and the bare interior of this church with its high centrally placed pulpit typifies the early Methodist approach to religion.

Services would have been quite informal; men often removed their coats in warm weather and people felt free to walk in and out of the church during the course of the service. At a time when the back concessions were sparsely populated, attending church was as important a social function as it was a religious one.