The Church of the Nativity was formed in 2006 with the amalgamation of the former St. Mary’s, Bartonville, and Grace Church Hamilton.

St. Mary’s was founded in 1878 in Bartonville Township, on land donated by William Syer. Earlier in the 1870s, the people of Bartonville had been worshiping at the Church of the Redeemer in Stoney Creek, until the Reverend Charles Whitecomb began holding services in Bartonville School and in Bartonville Methodist Church. The foundation stone was laid by local postmaster Adam Brown on June 23, 1880, and the church was completed in 1881. The first parish hall was built in 1894 and replaced in 1924-25.  St. Mary’s was at first a mission of the Church of the Redeemer, and became a separate parish in 1944. In 1953, the original stone church was converted into the chancel (the part with the altar and choir), and a new nave (the longer portion of the building with the pews) was added to run east-west. The new church building was consecrated by Bishop W. W. Bagnall on March 25, 1954.  In 1967 the final addition was built to include a kitchen, meeting spaces, choir and office facilities, and the chapel.

Grace Church, Hamilton, was founded by the Reverend Joseph Carson in 1919 to serve the community bounded by Kenilworth to Gage and Lawrence to Cannon.  The original church was a small stucco building. In 1929 the nave and the basement were added, and the chancel was built in 1955. In 1968 the Christian Education Building (Sunday school, office and church parlor) replaced the stucco building and was annexed to the main church. The church interior held a stunning chancel, chapel, nave, and sixteen beautiful stained glass windows.