By Lidia Semrau
After years of uncertainty, First United Church has found a new home.
The congregation will share a building with All Saints Anglican Church in Westboro starting April 1, despite the contrasting theologies of the two denominations.
“We’re sad to be leaving Centretown,” says Margaret Maxted, a member of First United. “But I think overall people are excited about it.”
The move is an emotional one for Maxted, who met and later married her partner Pat Logan as one of the first same-sex marriages performed at the church.
First United is the only congregation in Ottawa that officially welcomes all sexual orientations in its ministry either through membership, leadership, or employment. The ability to conduct same-sex marriages in the building was a condition of the partnership with All Saints.
“We will live in respect of one another’s theology and one another’s ritual,” says Paul Durber, chairman of First United’s council. “We’re going to stay two separate congregations even though we work together.”
While Durber acknowledges that this arrangement is somewhat unusual, it is nothing new.
Riverside United Church and The Anglican Church of the Resurrection in Ottawa joined in 1969. They pooled their resources together and obtained a mortgage to cover the cost of a church building.
Cornelius predicts collaborations like these will occur more frequently as congregation sizes are decreasing and church expenses are not.
First United’s old building was bought by the Ottawa Chinese Heritage Foundation for approximately $750,000. The building’s structure is expected to stay intact while it serves as a community centre for about 60 different Chinese community associations.
“We’re delighted that it’s becoming a Chinese cultural centre,” says Cornelius. “We see that as a sacred use.”
Beginning April 1, All Saints worship will commence at 9:30 a.m., followed by First United’s worship at 11:15 a.m.
The two congregations will also have separate office spaces and share the building interchangeably for their independent mid-week activities.
This partnership is expected to free up resources and may allow the churches to perform more effective ministries within their separate congregations.
“We’re both strong congregations,” says Allen Box, rector of All Saints. “We’re happy to be taking this from a position of strength as we anticipate the best ways to operate in the future.”
First United Minister Brian Cornelius says after nearly 10 years of discussion about the future of the church, the congregation made its decision to move due to high repair costs on the building. Partnering with another church was the best use of its money, time and energy.
“Our hope is that this move enables us to put our resources into the ministry of social justice initiatives,” says Cornelius.
He also says while the congregation is leaving Centretown, First United has no intention of severing ties with the social groups and organizations it is involved with in the area.
One of these initiatives includes the Laundry Co-op, which First United, McLeod Stewarton United Church and the Centretown Community Health Centre developed together in 1999. It provides affordable laundry services to more than 300 low-income residents in Centretown and is run on a volunteer and membership basis. Others involve selling fair trade products, offering monthly luncheons to clients of the Canadian Mental Health Association, and supporting the initiatives of the Centretown Churches Social Action committee.
Durber says First United is not concerned about attendance dropping when the congregation moves.
“We lost a lot of people over the last four years,” says Durber. “I expect people who left First United may well come back now that the church has settled down. They know where they’re supposed to direct themselves; they know the community and they feel at home. I would say on balance we might end up with higher attendance.”
First United Church has been considered a sacred space since it was built in 1911, says Cornelius.
However, his move will be made easier knowing the congregation has always understood what makes a church a special space–its members.
“A church is its people, not its building,” says Cornelius.