the united church of canada 90 th anniversary historical timeline

The United Church of Canada

90th Anniversary Historical Timeline

July 1, 1867 Birth of a Nation

1876 – Indian ActResidential Schools - assimilation

1896 – Japanese Methodist Mission - Vancouver

1902 – Formal Union discussions begin

ca. 1910 – Diakonia Presbyterian deaconesses

1914

WW1 beginsTalks of Church Union

subside

1915 – Canadian Girls in Training (CGIT) formed

June 10,1925 – Church Union

June 10, 1925 – Inaugural worship Mutual Street Arena, Toronto

The United Church of

Canada Crest in 1925

-Representing the founding

denominations

Missionary and Maintenance Fund 1925

Mission boats serve BC coast

Residential Schools - ca 1930Morley Residential School

Chinese UC celebrates50th Anniversary in 1935

1936 – Rev Lydia Gruchy 1st woman ordained in the UCC

Rev. Lydia Gruchy

1929The Great Depression

How does a church respond when so many are hurting?

1930sYouth in the ChurchGrowing in faith

1939 – 65 UCC clergy signed a ‘Witness Against War’ outlining pacifist views.

1940A Statement of Faith is published;naming who we are at this time in

our journey

1946

A joint proposal from the United

and Anglican churches on

mutual ministry is issued.

1948Residential Schools begin to close.

1952 – UCC supports creation of medicare

Tommy Douglas the father of affordable healthcare for ALL Canadians

1960Edmonton Residential School Closes

1962 – the United Church Women (UCW) formed

1965

Bestsellers engage people in talking about church in the public arena

1960sThe New CurriculumTeaching people in the pews about modern critical reading of scripture raised the ire of many!

The Evangelical United Brethren Church joins the UCC (1968)

Dr. Robert B. McClure (1968)

1st Lay Moderator of the UCC

1968Mission and

Service Fund

Missionary and Maintenance

Fund given a new mandate and

name

1968

A New Creed

A new expression of our shared faith

1971Plan of Union

approved with the Anglican, United and Disciples of

Christ

only to be defeated in 1975

Rev. Wilbur K. Howard (1974)1st African-Canadian Moderator

UCC Task Force concludes that there is one ministry“the ministry of God himself, into which ministry he calls his whole

church”.

1978National Ethnic

Ministries Committee

established in Division of

Mission

1980 – A woman takes the leadRev. Lois Wilson - Moderator

1980

French translation“L'Église Unie du Canada” added to UCC crest

1980-82Project Ministry

Conclusion:“As a church we are still on our journey toward a more complete understanding of ministry.”

1986 – UCC issues an apology to the First Nations people for their part in Residential Schools

UCC ends investments

in South Africa to protest

apartheid1986

Sang Chul Lee(1988)

Moderator

UCC declaration that sexual orientation

should not be a barrier for

ordination or church

membership(1988)

Rev. Stan McKay(1992)

Living into the Apology

The Healing Fund established to aid First Nations residential school survivors

1994

Rev. Bill Phipps’ (Moderator) commentsevoke a national debate on the divinity of Jesus (1997)

Apology to First Nations peoples - for residential School abuse (1998)

Anti-racism policy adopted(2000)

Welcoming ALLin the Name and Spirit of Christ

Beads of Hope campaign – 2002Responding in love to aid victims of HIV/AIDS pandemic

Seeking JusticeBill C-7

First Nations Governance Act is allowed to die as UCC stands with Aboriginal peoples

Sharing GenerouslyUCC emergency appeal raises

over $1.5 million to aid victims of Dec 26, 2004 tsunami

Seeking Justice

UCC stands in favour of

same-gendered marriage

(2005)

2007United for Peace

campaignlaunched

as apeace initiative

in Israel andPalestine

2011Occupy Movement

seeking justice for the 99%

Photo credit: Toronto Star

2009-2012Seeking to live into right relations

with creation

Living into Right Relations

Commissioners at GC41 approve a new crestthat honours the First Nations peoples(2012)

GC41 Commissioners

also expand UCC doctrinal

statements to include

1940 Statement of Faith, A New Creed (1968) and A Song

of Faith (2016)

Breaking More

Boundaries

GC41 listens to the Spirit

Rev. Gary Paterson

Moderator

Being the Church

2015Being

Christ’s Church into the future

GC42Corner

Brook, Nfld