“Love Each Other” theme of Centennial gathering at EY Centre, Ottawa

Churches from across the Eastern Ontario Outaouais region will gather at the EY Centre in Ottawa on June 15 at 11 am to mark a moment in Canadian history—the creation of The United Church of Canada in an Act of Parliament on June 10, 1925.

Celebrating 100 years of history, this bilingual event will bring an estimated 1,200 people together to celebrate this milestone. Fully accessible, the event is free and the theme is “Love Each Other: A time of prayer and song, communion and proclamation.”

“Gathering together is a powerful thing. When our voices are united and we are together in community, we feel the energy that comes from being with one another. It’s an important reminder of the power of belonging, particularly in a world that suffers from loneliness and isolation,” said Rev. Éric Hébert-Daly, Regional Executive Minister. “When we express our faith in isolation of others, we miss the opportunity to hear other perspectives and to be challenged, and to grow and evolve in ways that prevent radicalization. We celebrate our diversity and expansive Christian witness by being united despite our differences.”

Rev. Rob Oliphant, MP for the Toronto riding of Don Valley West, will be the guest preacher. The early years of his ministry in the United Church are rooted in the region well before he became a Member of Parliament.

Special musical guests are Rev. Peter Woods, Nick Gummeson and Field Notes.

The United Church is uniquely Canadian, and was the first mainline Christian church in Canada to mark several milestones, including ordaining women, openly welcoming the 2S and LGBTQIA+ community, and recognizing the devastating impact of residential institutions through direct apology and action. It is a consistent prophetic voice on countless issues of social justice and care for the environment.

“When we commemorate 100 years of ministry in this church, we do so with humility. We understand that our history is both a story of celebration for the leadership we have embodied, but also a time to recognize that we haven’t always acted in Christ-like ways,” said Rev. Susan deHaan, Eastern Ontario Outaouais Regional Council President. “We are a human expression inspired by God, but there have been times when we’ve failed to live up to our divine calling.”