United Church of Canada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids United Church of Canada |
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The official seal of the United Church of Canada
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| Classification | Mainline Protestant |
| Orientation | Methodist and Reformed |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| General Secretary | Michael Blair |
| Moderator | Carmen Lansdowne |
| Associations |
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| Region | Canada (plus Bermuda) |
| Origin | June 10, 1925 Mutual Street Arena, Toronto, Ontario |
| Merger of |
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| Absorbed | Canadian Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church (1968) |
| Congregations | 2,711 |
| Members | 388,363 registered (baptized) members |
The United Church of Canada (French: Église unie du Canada) is a large Protestant Christian church in Canada. It is the biggest Protestant church in the country. It is also the second largest Christian church in Canada, after the Catholic Church in Canada.
The United Church started in 1925. It was formed when four different Protestant churches joined together. These were the Methodist Church, the Congregational Union, most of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and a group called the Association of Local Union Churches. In 1968, another church, the Canadian Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, also joined.
At its peak in 1964, the church had about 1.1 million members. While membership has changed over the years, in 2021, over 1 million Canadians (about 3.3% of the population) said they belonged to the United Church.
The United Church has a special way of organizing itself, called a "council-based" structure. This means decisions are made by different groups or "councils" at local, regional, and national levels. The church is known for its open and accepting policies. For example, anyone can become a minister, no matter their gender or if they are married. It also welcomes people from different faiths in marriage and offers Communion to all Christians.
Contents
How the United Church Started
In the early 1900s, there were three main Protestant churches in Canada: Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational. Many small towns had all three, which sometimes made it hard to find enough ministers for everyone. Especially in the Canadian Prairies, people started to think about uniting these churches. This led to a group called the Association of Local Union Churches.
Because of this movement, the three main churches began talking about joining together. They created a plan called the Basis for Union.
However, not everyone agreed with the idea of uniting. Some Presbyterians did not want to join. To solve this, each Presbyterian church was allowed to vote on whether to join the new United Church or stay separate. In the end, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian churches chose to join. The remaining churches continued as the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
The Big Day: June 10, 1925
The United Church of Canada officially began on June 10, 1925. It was a big event held at the Mutual Street Arena in Toronto. Church leaders had worked with the Canadian government to pass laws allowing the churches to combine their properties.
At the first meeting, hymns from all three original churches were sung. This showed how the new church wanted to bring everyone together. The first leader, called the Moderator, was George C. Pidgeon. He was a Presbyterian leader, chosen to help unite all the different groups.
The Church's Symbol: The Crest
The United Church designed a special symbol called a crest. It looks like an oval shape, which is an old Christian symbol. The cross in the middle is also the Greek letter "Chi," which stands for "Christ."
Inside the crest, there are symbols for the original churches:
- A burning bush for the Presbyterians.
- A dove for the Methodists.
- An open Bible for the Congregationalists.
The bottom part has the Greek letters alpha and omega, which mean God is eternal. The motto, Ut omnes unum sint, means "That they all may be one." This comes from a prayer by Jesus.
In 2012, a Mohawk phrase, "Akwe Nia'tetewá:neren" ("All my relations"), was added to the crest. The background colors were also changed to match the traditional colors of a First Nations medicine wheel.
Important Moments in History
- 1930s: The Great Depression made things hard for many people. The church worked to help those who were unemployed. In 1936, Lydia Emelie Gruchy became the first woman to be ordained as a minister in the United Church.
- 1940s: During World War II, the church supported the war effort. However, some church leaders spoke out against the forced relocation of Japanese Canadians from the West Coast. The United Church also helped start the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. The church also began to close the residential schools it had been involved with, recognizing that changes were needed.
- 1950s: The church supported new ideas like universal health care. Membership grew as many families joined the church.
- 1960s: In 1962, two women's groups joined to form the United Church Women (UCW). In 1968, another church, the Evangelical United Brethren Church, joined the United Church. Membership reached its highest point in 1965. The church also started to help American young men who did not want to fight in the Vietnam War.
- 1970s: The United Church worked with other churches, like the Anglican Church, on shared projects like a new hymn book. They also agreed to recognize baptisms performed in other Christian churches.
- 1980s: In 1980, Lois Wilson became the first female Moderator of the church. The church also discussed allowing gay and lesbian people to become ministers. This decision caused some members to leave the church.
- 1990s: The church faced the difficult history of its role in residential schools. In 1992, Tim Stevenson became the first openly gay minister ordained by the United Church. Later, Stan McKay, a Cree man, became the first Indigenous Moderator. The church created a "Healing Fund" and apologized to former students of residential schools.
- 2000s: The church continued to support same-sex marriage in Canada. It also worked with the government and Indigenous groups to address the legacy of residential schools.
- 2010s: In 2012, Gary Paterson became the first openly gay Moderator. The church also changed its crest to include a Mohawk phrase and colors from a First Nations medicine wheel. The church also voted to support a boycott of products from Israeli settlements. In 2015, the church made big changes to its structure and how it finds and trains ministers.
How the Church Helps Communities
Supporting Indigenous People
For many years, until 1969, the United Church was involved in running residential schools for Indigenous children. These schools caused a lot of pain for many Indigenous people and their families.
Since the late 1990s, the United Church has apologized many times for its part in this system. The church is now working to help Indigenous communities heal from this difficult past. In 2019, it set aside money to support projects aimed at helping Indigenous communities.
Kindred Works: Building for the Future
In 2022, the United Church helped start a company called Kindred Works. This company works to use church properties to create new homes. They plan to build enough rental units for 34,000 people over 15 years. Some of these homes will be offered at lower rents to help more people.
How the Church is Organized
The rules for how the United Church is run are in a book called The Manual. This book is updated regularly.
The Moderator
The Moderator is the main leader and spokesperson for the United Church. This person is elected for a three-year term. The Moderator helps guide the church, visits different communities, and leads important meetings.
Currently, Carmen Lansdowne is the Moderator, elected in 2022.
Church Structure
For many years, the church had four levels of organization. In 2019, it changed to a simpler three-council model:
- Communities of Faith: These are the local church groups, like congregations, that meet regularly for worship.
- Regional Councils: These groups bring together communities of faith in a specific area. There are 16 regional councils.
- Denominational Council: This is the highest level, still called the General Council. It meets every three years to make big decisions for the whole church.
Ministers and Leaders
The leaders of the United Church are called "ministers." There are two main types: ordered ministry and lay ministry. Ordered ministry includes ordained ministers and diaconal ministers. Lay ministry includes leaders who help with worship and other church duties.
The United Church welcomes everyone to become a minister, no matter their gender, age, or if they are married.
What the Church Believes
The Bible
The United Church believes the Bible is very important to the Christian faith. They believe it was written by people inspired by God. However, the church also understands that the Bible was written a long time ago, in a different time and place. So, some parts need to be understood in their historical context. The church uses a method called historical-critical method to interpret the Bible.
Sacraments: Special Ceremonies
The United Church has two main sacraments: Communion and Baptism.
Communion
Communion is a special meal where people share bread and grape juice. This reminds them of the Last Supper Jesus shared with his followers. It is usually celebrated at a table at the front of the church.
The United Church practices open communion. This means anyone who is a Christian, including children, can take part, no matter their age or what church they belong to. The bread and juice can be passed around, or people can dip the bread into the juice. Some churches celebrate communion once a month, others less often.
Baptism
Baptism is the first step to becoming a church member. It is a ceremony where water is used to welcome someone into the Christian faith. The United Church baptizes babies, children, and adults.
For babies, parents promise to raise their child in the Christian faith. The church community also promises to help. The minister puts water on the person's head three times, representing the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). A cross is also traced on the forehead. Adults can also choose to be baptized by being fully immersed in water.
The United Church recognizes baptisms from other Christian churches if they were done with water and in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Welcoming Everyone
The United Church tries to be a welcoming place for everyone. This means people of all ages, races, backgrounds, genders, or physical abilities are welcome. There are no limits on who can become a minister.
Marriage
The United Church recognizes and celebrates all legal marriages. This includes marriages between same-sex couples, people who have been divorced, and couples from different religions. Each local church group decides its own policy on who to marry.
Working with Other Faiths
The church believes there are many ways to connect with God. While the United Church's path is through Jesus Christ, they also believe that God's Spirit works through other non-Christian faiths.
Becoming a Member
To be a full member of the United Church, a person must be baptized and make a public promise of faith. You don't have to be a member to attend church services; many people who come regularly are not official members.
To become a full member, a person goes through a process called "confirmation." This usually involves classes about the church's beliefs, often for young people around age 13 or adults. After these classes, the person makes a public promise of faith. If they haven't been baptized yet, the minister will baptize them before this promise. Their name is then added to the church's official list of members.
Benefits of Membership
Only members can be part of a church's board or council. Only members can vote at church meetings, though sometimes voting rights are extended to regular attendees.
Transferring Membership
When you become a member, you are a member of the entire United Church of Canada, not just one local church. This means you can easily transfer your membership from one United Church congregation to another.
Music in the Church
The United Church has published several hymn books over the years:
- Hymnary (1930)
- The Hymn Book (1971) – created with the Anglican Church of Canada
- Voices United (1996) – this is the main hymn book used today. A smaller book called More Voices was added in 2006.
- Nos voix unies (2005) – the first French-language hymn book for the United Church.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia Unida de Canadá para niños
