The Founding
Two men, a shared trade in music, and a first lesson under a grapevine.
Elder Shadrock Porter and Antonio Castrilli met in 1983 through their work in music. It was the same year Elder Shadrock won the Dora Mavor Moore Award.
The first doctrinal lesson followed in the summer of 1985, under the grapevine at Castrilli’s home. Elder Castrilli’s answer is recorded: Shad, if you prove it to me in the Bible, I would believe you, for I don’t care what God looks like, I truly want to serve Him.
The first gathering was held at 121 Hallam Street in Toronto, the home of Elder Tony Castrilli. From those gatherings the Israelite Nation Worldwide Ministries was established in Toronto in 1985.
What followed quickly
The first Passover was kept on Thursday 24 April 1986, its new moons cut and pasted from a bank’s printed calendar. Earlscourt, Elder Shadrock’s home, was purchased on 1 August 1987, and the first Feast of Tabernacles kept that October. In 1989 the ministry kept its first new year on the first day of Abib.
By May or June 1990 Hallam Street was packed to the brim, and the decision was taken to move.