The church has its origins in the New Methodist Chapel, a small frame building built in 1811 in the village of Kingston at the corner of Wellington and Johnson streets.

Another small frame chapel was built in 1816–17 by British Wesleyans on the southeast corner of Bay and Bagot streets, and was enlarged in 1835.

[3] The Reverend Samuel Dwight Rice was transferred from Mount Elgin to Kingston, and helped manage the construction project.

Chown was converted at revival services held in the church, a normal feature of Methodism at the time.

[16] In 1889 the evangelists Hugh Crossley and John Hunter launched their campaign from the church, the first of a series of meetings where they asked their audience to repent of their sins, convert, and live a life pleasing to God, avoiding secular entertainments such as the theater.

[17] Crossley and Hunter were celebrities, and consciously exploited this to raise excitement in the hope of making conversions.

A report of their final service at the Sydenham Street Methodist Church in 1889 said the galleries were filled by women five minutes after the doors were opened.

"Then the dear ladies banked themselves against the door, waiting so patiently for the time when they could crowd on the main floor.

In January 1900 a special service was held in the Sydenham Street Methodist Church with C Battery of the second contingent in attendance.

Our generals, our soldiers, and our citizens should be united in this solemn, holy exercise that we may be God-guided, God-girded, and God-guarded.

It is also used by the Kingston Choral Society, and houses the offices of Autism Ontario, Our Livable Solutions, Kuluta Buddhist Centre, and Moira's Piano Studio.

The church has been used for concerts by many artists, including Henry Rollins, Richie Havens, Joel Plaskett, Ron Sexsmith, Arlo Guthrie, Angela Hewitt, Dan Mangan, Bruce Cockburn, Measha Brueggergosman, Liona Boyd, Matt Good, The Good Lovelies, and Fred Penner.