Denomination

Background and organization

The United Church of Canada was inaugurated in 1925, formed out of a union of the Methodist Church, Canada, the Congregational Union of Canada, and the Presbyterian Church of Canada. (Not all Presbyterian congregations joined; that's why there is still a Presbyterian Church in Canada.)

True to the traditions of its founding denominations, the United Church studies and speaks out on controversial topics such as nuclear power, farm labour, abortion, capital punishment, same sex marriage and poverty at home and abroad. All members don't always agree on United Church positions. Those positions, however are hammered out in United Church "courts" culminating in the General Council, which meets as a large body every two or three years, and as an executive twice yearly.

Traditionally, the United Church has been structured in four levels or courts: the local congregation (which is where you are) in which decisions are made by a body known as the Session or Church Council or Executive; the presbytery; the Conference; and the General Council.

More than three million members and adherents worship in almost 4,000 congregations across the country.

The United Church Creed

We are not alone,
     we live in God's world.
We believe in God:
     who has created and is creating,,
     who has come in Jesus,
          the Word made flesh,
          to reconcile and make new,
     who works in us and others
          by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the church
     to celebrate God's presence
     to live with respect in Creation,
     to love and serve others,
     to seek justice and resist evil,
     to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
          our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
     God is with us.


We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.

Fraser Presbytery

An administrative grouping of pastoral charges reaching from South Surrey to Surrey to Hope. Lay and ministerial delegates from the charges meet regularly to oversee the work of the charges. There are 94 Presbyteries within the United Church of Canada.

British Columbia Conference

An administrative grouping of presbyteries (10) in the area of British Columbia. A lay and ministerial delegates from the presbyteries meet annually. Full-time staff in Conference offices work with presbyteries and local pastoral charges. There are 13 Conferences within the church.

United Church of Canada

The church's highest administrative body. Ordered ministry personnel and lay commissioners are elected by the Conferences and meet every 2-3 years to set church policy.