This month marks the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada. On June 10th, 1925, all of the Methodist, Congregational Union Churches, and 70% of the Presbyterian Churches of Canada formed the United Church of Canada. Since then, a few other smaller churches and denominations have joined.
I started attending a United Church in Calgary in 1975. I began serving as a United Church clergyperson in 1983 in Minnedosa, Manitoba.
The United Church has been a good fit for me. I understand it may not be for everyone. My late sister, for instance, found her spiritual home in the Church of the Nazarene. It was a community and culture that suited her well. The United Church was never going to be the right match for her, and that’s okay.
For me, though, there are many qualities of the United Church that I value. Some of the words I use to describe it include: liberal, progressive, inclusive, justice-focused, non-dogmatic, and open.
I appreciate its commitment to critical thinking, its willingness to read the Bible metaphorically, and its ability to value ambiguity, perplexity, and uncertainty. It has a this-world focus and allows both individuals and the institution itself to evolve.
Of course, the United Church has made its share of mistakes. It was once complicit in colonialism and upheld many aspects of the dominant, oppressive culture. This includes its participation in the Indian Residential Schools system.
The Church has also, at different times, legitimized war, excluded women from leadership, discriminated against LGBTQ2SIA+ individuals, and been blind to racism, both individual and systemic.
But the Church has also shown a willingness to evolve. It withdrew from operating residential schools in 1969 and later issued formal apologies for its involvement in the system, the legacy of cultural assimilation and abuse, and the denial of Indigenous spirituality. A “Healing Fund” was established to support survivors.
The United Church ordained Lydia Gruchy, its first woman minister, in 1936. It has since worked to fully welcome and affirm people across the spectrum of gender identity and sexual orientation. Today, it continues to face and address racism in both its visible and subtle forms.
Since 1965, the United Church has been in numerical decline—a trend shared by many religious institutions across the Western world. It’s uncertain whether the United Church will exist in its current form for another hundred years. But the size or longevity of a tradition isn’t the only way to measure its value.
Personally, I’m very grateful for the healthy, engaged, and authentic people I’ve met through the United Church, and for the way it has allowed—and even encouraged—me to follow truth wherever it may lead. It means a lot to me to belong to a church that does not put spirituality at odds with education and reality.
I give thanks for the United Church of Canada.
The St. Andrew’s United Church Centre for Peace is located at 901 11th Ave. S. in Golden, BC. For a more historical account of Golden’s United Church, see the Golden Museum’s post here.
