A Very Brief History

The United Church of Canada is one of many denominations of the Christian faith. The Christian faith began about 2,000 years ago with the followers of Jesus, and grew enormously in the centuries after his death and resurrection.

Disagreements about theology and practice eventually led to the three major streams of Christian churches that exist today. All three trace their history to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and his early followers. The Roman Catholic Church identifies a direct connection between Peter, Jesus' disciple, and the popes of today. The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches diverged at the beginning of the second millennium. In the 16th century, Pastor Martin Luther and like-minded followers broke away from the Roman Catholic Church, beginning the Protestant movement that saw the rise of many denominations in many countries.

In 1925, three of these Protestant denominations, the Methodist, Congregationalist, and two-thirds of the Presbyterian churches in Canada amalgamated to create The United Church of Canada through an Act of Parliament. The agreement between these different traditions is found in the Basis of Union.

Since 1925, other smaller groups of churches and individual congregations have joined The United Church of Canada, so that there are approximately 3,200 United Churches in Canada today. History of the United Church describes our history and traditions in much more detail.