First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto

First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto

The First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto is a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is affiliated with the Canadian Unitarian Council. It is the largest of six UU congregations and fellowships in the GTA.

History

The congregation was founded in 1845, the second in Canada after the Montreal congregation. One of the prominent founding members was Joseph Workman, known as the "Father of Canadian Psychiatry". Many other notable members include Arthur Lismer, Sir Francis Hincks, Emily Stowe, William Dennison, and Donald Macdonald, Michael Cassidy. The congregation operated in a building on St. George Street, but moved to 216 Jarvis Street in the 1940s. In 1952, 8 parishioners founded the Elizabeth Fry Society after hearing a speech by Agnes MacPhail. In the 1950s, the congregation moved to its present building at 175 St. Clair Avenue West.

In 1993, the building underwent extensive renovations. The main space, named Sunderland Hall, was changed from an east-west to a north-south orientation. Workman Hall, which used to back on to Sunderland Hall as a disused stage was remodelled as a separate space and meeting area. Office and classroom spaces were updated and expanded. An airy narthex was added on the side of the building facing St. Clair including a tower with a stained glass window commissioned for the renovated building. The work is entitled "Radiance, Reflection, Revelation" by artist Sarah Hall. It was later nominated for the Ontario Arts Council's Jean Chalmers Award as the single largest commission for a stained glass work in the Toronto area. [Heritage Designation Proposal. 2008. Toronto Preservation Board. [http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-9449.pdf] ]

In September, 2007, the city's heritage preservation committee proposed that the building be designated as a heritage property along with eight other church properties in the neighbourhood. At the request of the church's board of trustees this designation was deferred until the church members could confer on the matter. [St. Clair Avenue West Church Survey – Inclusion of Nine Properties on Heritage Inventory. September 27, 2007. Toronto Preservation Board and Toronto and East York Community Council. [http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-9430.pdf] ] [Letter to Presevation Board on the Heritage Designation. December 3, 2007. Richard Kirsh, President, Board of Trustees, First Unitarian Congregation. [http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2008/te/comm/communicationfile-5174.pdf] ]

Governance

The congregation is led by a nine member Board of Trustees including a President and Vice-President. There is also a treasurer but this position is not considered as a board member. Trustees are elected by the congregation to three year terms with the possibility of one renewal. Minister(s) of the church are considered as employees and are not members of the board (although they frequently attend board meetings). The board is responsible for making policy decisions for the congregation. A number of convenors report to the board who are responsible for overseeing operational aspects of the congregation such as finance, membership recruitment, neighbourhood outreach, etc. All of the trustee and convenor positions are volunteers.

Once a year the congregation holds an annual general meeting to elect new board members and approve the annual budget. Other issues affecting the entire congregation are also voted upon as the need arises.

References

External links

* [http://www.firstunitariantoronto.org/ First Unitarian Congregation web site]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Canadian Unitarian Council — Infobox Organization name= Canadian Unitarian Council size= formation= May 14th, 1961 extinction= type= Religious Organization headquarters= location= Canada membership= language= leader title= Executive Director leader name= Linda Thomson key… …   Wikipedia

  • Église Unie St-Marc — ( St. Mark United Church ) is a small but historic church in Ottawa, Canada. It is the main church for francophone Protestants in the Ottawa Gatineau region. French speaking Protestants are a very small minority in Canada, but one with a history… …   Wikipedia

  • religion — religionless, adj. /ri lij euhn/, n. 1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and… …   Universalium

  • History of Unitarianism — Unitarianism, both as a theology and as a denominational family of churches, was first defined and developed within the Protestant Reformation, although theological ancestors may be found back in the early days of Christianity. Later historical… …   Wikipedia

  • Edmonton — This article is about the capital of Alberta. For other uses, see Edmonton (disambiguation). Edmonton   City   City of Edmonton …   Wikipedia

  • Western architecture — Introduction       history of Western architecture from prehistoric Mediterranean cultures to the present.       The history of Western architecture is marked by a series of new solutions to structural problems. During the period from the… …   Universalium

  • Samuel Taylor Coleridge — For the late 19th century classical composer, see Samuel Coleridge Taylor. Samuel Taylor Coleridge Coleridge in 1795. Born 21 October 1772(1772 10 21) Ottery St. Mary, Devon, England …   Wikipedia

  • Ordination of women — Main article: Ordination Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated (set apart for the administration of various religious rites). The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious …   Wikipedia

  • United Church of Canada — For Unitarian churches in Canada, see Canadian Unitarian Council. United Church of Canada Église unie du Canada Classification Protestant Orientation Mainline/Calvinist …   Wikipedia

  • Jehovah's Witnesses — Jehovah s Witnesses …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”