The first records of our congregation date back to 1844. On May 30, 1844, the Presbytery of Bathurst of the Church of Scotland ordained Rev. Geroge Bell and inducted him into the pulpits of Cumberland and Buckingham. Canada of that time was divided into Districts. The District of Bathurst was created in 1822 comprising what is now the County of Carleton and part of Lanark and by Act of 1823 the county seat of government was the town of Perth. The District of Ottawa comprising what is now Prescott and Russell was created in 1816 and by Act of 1837 the county seat was the village of L'Orignal. Whatever the boundary of the Presbytery was, we know it was called the Presbytery of Bathurst and Presbytery always met in the town of Perth.

The first Kirk Session with Mr. Bell as Moderator was composed of Duncan MacEachern and John McCallum from the Buckingham side and Archibald McCallum and William Lough from the Cumberland side, whom, the record states, had all been previously ordained to the office of the eldership. Two weeks later William Petrie of Cumberland was ordained an elder. Later that year that part of the congregation in the township of Buckingham met separately in the village of Buckingham and this congregation was called Cumberland and Clarence. Sunday service was at 10 a.m. in Cumberland and at 2 p.m. in Buckingham.

At the November session meeting, "it was agreed that those persons who had been admitted to the communion of the church during the ministry of the Rev. Alexander Fletcher should be considered as already in regular standing as members in full communion and that their names should form the beginning of the communion roll.' , Other members were admitted on "having produced satisfactory testimonials of their good character and regular standing as members in full communion with the church in places where they had previously resided" - and others were examined by the minister and received on their profession. So that the first communion roll had 64 names on it - names such as Lough, McCallum, Cameron, McCaul, McLaughlin, Hunter, Petrie, Golightly, Wylie, Shaw, McLilland, Holmes, Smith, Walker, Fullerton, McLeod, McMillan, Noons, Anderson, Dale, Spence, Bamard, Bull, Dunning, and it is recorded that at the first communion service under Mr. Bell on November 10, 1844, there were 55 communicants present.

After January 1, 1846, the Auld Kirk Church was known as Carmel Presbyterian Church of Cumberland. In November 1883 the name was changed to Mount Carmel. In February 1885 it was duly moved and seconded "that this congregation be known as Cumberland congregation instead of Mount Carmel." There is no record of the name St. Andrews being taken. The printed annual report of the year 1920 says Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the report of the year 1921 says St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Cumberland.

In August 1847 the Session received word that the Colonial Committee of the Church of Scotland had granted the sum of sixty pounds towards finishing the church. The congregation had made application for this grant and they expressed "their gratification for this seasonable aid."

Rev. George Bell left in 1848 and it seems that Rev. John McMorine of Ramsays was moderator pro tern. Rev. David Shanks was inducted in 1851. Division had come to the Presbyterian Church in Scotland and this division spread to the new land. Some time around 1850 a Free Church was formed and Cumberland now had two Presbyterian Churches. The Ault Kirk had the substantial stone building on the river shore at the west end of the village. In October, 1851 it is recorded that "the communion roll was read and purged." It was found 61 members still remained where there had been over 90. Unfortunately the records of the Free Church have been lost but that congregation erected a frame building on the road to Ottawa on the corner of lot 16 at the west end of the village (where the highway garage now stands). This road had been opened to Ottawa in 1850.

Rev. Shanks evidently stayed only two years and there was no regular minister for over a year until Rev. Peter Lindsay came early in 1855.

On July 7, 1856, John Baikie, James Golightly and William Wilson were ordained additional elders. During his ministry here Rev. Lindsay's wife (a sister of Mrs. William Wilson) died and was buried in the Cumberland Cemetery on January 20, 1861. He was called to Arnprior in 1862. Rev. H. J. Borthwick of Chelsea was moderator pro tern for two years and Rev. lames C. Smith was inducted minister in July 1864. He left early in 1869. Although there is no record of his induction Rev. William Anderson was the minister entering the record of baptisms from 1869 until 1871. Rev. Frederick Home came next.

These early records tell of a deeply religious, God-fearing people. Harsh and severe as their life was they were devoted to their church and strict in the keeping of the sabbath. Prayer Meetings were held in the homes and in the church. They were very faithful in the observance of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Friday preceding was a day set apart for solemn preparation for the communion and tokens would be distributed to intending communicants. The first communion set is still in the possession of the church, preserved for many years by Miss H. B. Dunning. The minister carried the set back and forth between Cumberland and Buckingham and even to Bearbrook. When Buckingham and Cumberland became separate charges the set was divided. A plate, tankard, chalice, communion tokens as well as the first baptismal bowl may be seen in the church. The first Bible was presented by Mrs. Wilgress, a sister of Mrs. Petrie. Mr. John Chalmers, who lived in Clarence, lit the fire in the Auld Kirk for the services each Sunday morning. He walked the bush trail from Clarence to Cumberland leading his horse on which were seated his wife and small son Jimmy. Dr. McLaughlin told of coming up the river to church with his parents in a dugout when he was a child - this would be around 1870.