Feature story
“Over the past century, the church has played a pivotal role in shaping Canadian society by advocating for social justice, Indigenous reconciliation, interreligious dialogue, 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, and ecumenism,” writes Rev. Prof. Dr Hyuk Cho, director of United Church Formation and Studies at the Vancouver School of Theology in Canada.
The United Church of Canada came into being in 1925 as the first union in the 20th century to cross historic denominational lines, uniting Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregationalist traditions to establish a united national Protestant church.
Cho noted in his article how at the time the founding of the United Church of Canada was described as “but another step toward the wider union of Evangelical Churches, not only in Canada but throughout the world.”
There are now more than 50 United and Uniting churches worldwide, which have developed their own identity as a communion of United and Uniting churches through a series of consultations facilitated by the World Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order, the most recent being in 2015.
Cho’s article will form part of a thematic issue of The Ecumenical Review on United and Uniting churches to be published later in 2025.
The founding of the United Church of Canada was celebrated at a National Centennial Service on 8 June 2025 at St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, at which the sermon was given by WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay.
In his article, Cho discusses the “paradigm shifts” within the church since the 1960s, including its explicit rejection of “all forms of ecclesiastical colonialism,” its support for holistic ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, its affirmation of inclusivity, and its vision of being an intercultural and anti-racist church.
“This article examines whether the United Church is a victim of its success – mainstreaming its values to the point of institutional decline – or if its legacy of adaptation will enable it to thrive in the future, reimagining faith in the 21st century,” writes Cho.
The church has issued multiple apologies for its role in the suffering caused by forced assimilation and abuse of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
“However, while apologies and actions mark progress, reconciliation is an ongoing process,” states Cho. “Indigenous voices continue to call for action and meaningful change.”
News Release: WCC general secretary commemorates centennial of United Church of Canada
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