Fidler, Frank Prescott, 1907-1995

Frank Prescott Fidler (1907-1995) was a United Church Minister. He was born in Calgary but was raised in Winnipeg. He received his B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering in 1928 from the University of Manitoba and his B.D. from Emmanuel College in 1934. He acted as a Boys’ Parliament Premier in 1924, and represented the Boys’ Parliaments of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba at the World Conference of Y.M.C.A. in Helsingfors, Finland in 1926. After attending Emmanuel, he acted as Boys’ Work Secretary of the British Columbia Conference of the Religious Education Council of Canada (1928-1931). Fidler was ordained in 1934 and called as an Associate Minister to Bloor Street United Church where he had been working as a student assistant to Dr. George Pidgeon. He remained there from 1933-1939. Then, Fidler acted as Minister of Glebe United Church, Ottawa, 1939-1949. For the next 20 years he served at General Council office as Associate Secretary of the Board of Christian Education in the area of family life education, Adult work, Couple’s Clubs and secretary of the National Marriage Guidance Council. He was largely responsible for preparing the New Curriculum, and also helped write two reports to the United Church Commission on Christian Marriage and Divorce: “Toward a Christian Understanding of Sex, Love and Marriage” (1962) and “Marriage Breakdown, Divorce, Remarriage, a Christian Understanding” (1964).

His professional interests extended outside of the church such that he became a founding member of the executive of the board of the Vanier Institute of the Family, first president of the Planned Parenthood Association of Toronto and president of the Family Planning Federation of Canada (1963-1970). He also acted as Executive Director of the Richmond Hill and Thornhill Area Family Services and was a Consultant in Marriage and Family Services to the United Church of Canada after his work at the General Council Office was completed.