About Us
A History of Emmanuel United
EMMANUEL UNITED CHURCH is a congregation of the larger church, the United Church of Canada. We began as a small mission church on Ottawa Street in 1920. During this time we were known as “Ottawa Street Methodist Church”.
A new church was built soon after, at the present site in 1925. At that time the church was comprised of what is now called Ottawa Hall. This new church was called “Ottawa United Church”, coming into being concurrently with the formation of the United Church of Canada. The United Church was at that time comprised of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches.
Over the years, the congregation continued to grow, and by the early 1950’s a larger sanctuary was needed. In 1956, our warm and inspiring sanctuary was erected and dedicated to the glory of God. Adjoining the sanctuary is a small, intimate chapel that is used regularly for private prayer and worship. To mark this new beginning, the name of our Church was officially changed to that of EMMANUEL UNITED CHURCH.
In 1997, we welcomed the congregation of Grace United Church with the amalgamation of our two churches. “The Good Shepherd” stained glass window (shown above) from the former Grace Church has found a special place above the balcony in our Sanctuary. We have been much enriched by the coming together of our two churches. In September 2021 we celebrated our 100th anniversary (a little delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions).
In 2023, the congregation from Central United Church joined us Emmanuel for worship and pastoral care.
Both congregations (Emmanuel and Central) voted unanimously on the terms of amalgamation on January 21, 2024. We joyfully formalized this formal amalgamation on Sunday, February 11, 2024.
From its earliest years, EMMANUEL has sought to respond to the spiritual and community-based needs of those within the congregation and beyond its walls. It continues this tradition today with strong celebrative worship, service to the community and compassion for other in the name of Christ.
EMMANUEL is a vibrant congregation, active in the community, alive in our exploration of our spiritual journey and sharing fellowship with one another. God is with us.
We have committees and volunteers who work with our Minister and are active with developing meaningful worship and spiritual growth, developing and maintaining opportunities for community outreach, supporting our Minister and staff, providing pastoral care and overseeing our finances. We look for ways to have fun, spread God's love, grow and nourish our faith and spirits and have a regular worship time that is meaningful, filled with music and prayer and relates to our everyday lives. We welcome you to come and join us.