South Gloucester United Church is part of the United Church of Canada and welcomes people from all backgrounds and orientations — wherever you are in your faith journey.
“Grateful for God’s loving action, we cannot keep from singing.”
Faith and the Bible
The Bible is the shared standard for our faith, but members are not required to adhere to any particular creed or formulation of doctrine.
Baptism & Communion
The United Church celebrates two sacraments—baptism and communion—by which we encounter the presence and goodness of God.
Social Justice
Caring for one another was central to Jesus’ teachings and we believe that we strengthen one another to work, through God's grace, for a better world.
Relationship & Inclusion
Respectful of the religious practice of all people of goodwill, we are a welcoming church that is challenged to ongoing renewal.
Giving, Generosity & Gratitude
God’s endless generosity to us encourages our own response to contribute in many ways to God’s mission in God’s world.
Marriage
Each person is a unique, loved creation of God; we welcome all people to the full life of Christian community, including marriage.
Our History
The history of this congregation begins in 1845 when a group of settlers, in what was then known as “Hard Scrabble,” built a 36 X26 log church on property donated by James Johnston.
By 1880, the South Gloucester log church was too small for the expanding congregation, so in October of that year a new brick building with a pointed tower was erected at the corner of Rideau and Albion Roads. It still stands today. By 1949, the pointed tower had become unsafe and replaced with the square one, which also still stands today.
A further transformation took place in 1969-70 when the sanctuary was redecorated with western cedar lattice work. At the same time, a tall wooden cross made and given by Verne Ridgeway was raised in the centre arch on the wall above the communion table where it still remains.
In April 1975, the church hall was completed. It would be instrumental for the continuing growth of the Sunday school, as well as many social and fund raising activities that are still happening to this day.
Visit our Events Calendar to see what’s coming up and take a peek at our Newsletters.
A Song Of Faith
A Song of Faith, adopted in 2006, seeks to provide a verbal picture of what The United Church of Canada, and thus SGUC, understands its faith to be in the historical, political, social, and theological context of the early 21st century. It is also a means of ongoing reflection and an invitation for the church to live out its convictions in relation to the world in which we live.
The 20 Articles of Doctrine; A Statement of Faith, 1940; A New Creed; and A Song of Faith are recognized as standards subordinate to the primacy of scripture in the doctrine section of the Basis of Union. Click here to download a copy.