The United Church of Canada is 100 Years Old. What's next?

Calgary Herald

20 hours ago

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In the Academy Award nominated movie Conclave, the newly elected Pope speaks about the role of the Church: 'It is not about the past, or about tradition. It is about what we do next!'
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This line has stuck with me since I first heard it. The United Church of Canada (UCC) isn't static or stuck, but it is grappling with what to do next. On June 10, 2025, the UCC turns 100 years old.
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To celebrate, we will remember the past and honour the tradition, but also consider what is next.
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The UCC was born in 1925 when some Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational churches amalgamated in order to form one United Church for all of Canada. Historically, it became a church that people claimed as their own whether they attended Sunday services or not. It was the church a community would turn to for rituals: funerals, weddings, baptisms. Due to its openness and accessibility, it became the church people claimed they would go to IF they were to go to church. It was a central hub for many communities across Canada.
Over the years the UCC has publicly addressed issues such as gay marriage, climate change, immigration, Truth and Reconciliation and peace-making. The theological stances on these issues were news-worthy; people were talking about the UCC. Each of these intentional stances spoke to the outward social justice engagement of our denomination. The UCC is known globally for its progressive stance on many social issues. It has had highs and lows in its history and it is challenged to remain relevant in our time.
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Recently the UCC identified and named their three core values: Deep Spirituality, Bold Discipleship and Daring Justice. These values call us to do the inner work of spirituality and call us to link this soul work with an active engagement in social justice.
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This is a path forward, a path to what is next, but the reality is that attendance at many UCC churches is in decline and thus many churches are permanently closing. Statistically, the UCC closes a church a week and some predict it may be extinct within 15 years. The membership of the denomination is half what it was in the 1960s, approximately 1.2 million people. Perhaps being honest and saying, 'Yes that may be so, but what's next?' seems like a question each church needs to address as it looks to the future.
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So, what is next? The United Church has just begun a new initiative, that attempts to answer this question. It is called 'A Place at the Table.' It is a photograph that recasts Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper painting. The photograph depicts an open table that is surrounded by diverse and welcoming disciples. The Jesus figure is absent, suggesting that the Risen Christ is present in all and around all. The photo is provocative, inviting, and also incomplete as it cannot possibly depict each and every ethnic group, diverse culture or minority individual. However, it does aspire to demonstrate that the table is ever expanding and there is indeed room for all.