Rev. Harold James Balsdon

Other Events:

• Occupation: King Street Baptist Church, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; minister
• Occupation: Highland Baptist Church, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; minister
• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-215705

Notes:

Harold Balsdon, minister
Rev. Harold James Balsdon, minister of King Street Baptist Church and Highland Baptist Church in Kitchener for 10 years, died suddenly Saturday in Toronto. He was 84.
Balsdon came to King Street Baptist Church, which was on the site now occupied by Canada Trust at King and Water streets, in 1952, and was minister when the property was sold in 1957.
He was the pastor of the new church-Highland Baptist on Highland Road West-and preached the opening sermon in April 1959. He left Highland Road in 1962 for Westmount Baptist in Montreal and from there in 1967 moved to Temple Baptist in Windsor.
After retiring in the early 1970s, Balsdon returned to Kitchener where he was a popular guest preacher. He was also an interim pastor at Stanley Park Baptist Church and King Street Baptist in the Preston area of Cambridge.
In 1986 he moved to Toronto to be with his son and daughter-in-law.
"He was a very popular preacher," said Rev. John Griffiths, pastor of Glen Acres Baptist Church in Waterloo. He said he and Balsdon were both born in Swansea, Wales, and after meeting in 1974, they remained good friends.
In addition to his son, Brian, of Don Mills, Balsdon is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Ley (Lois) Smith of Kalamazoo, Mich.; one brother, Rev. Fred Balsdon of Brampton, and one sister, Nora, of London, Ont. His wife predeceased in the 1970s.
The funeral service will be conducted on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Highland Baptist Church with Rev. Griffiths officiating.

Kitchener-Waterloo Record Apr 4, 1989