About Us

Camlachie United Church

Most frequent questions and answers

we believe.

We are “A Christian Community Welcoming and Serving All People”. We enjoy being together, worshiping together, working together, and serving together. We welcome all who enter our doors, as each of us was welcomed in the past. We believe in each other, and who we are as a Christian Family.

 

we are rooted.

Camlachie United Church is located on the beautiful homeland and traditional territory of the Chippewa, Odawa, Potawatomi, and Delaware First Nations. We thank these nations for their welcome to us through their treaties, ancestral traditions, and languages. We continue to work with them in the stewardship of this good land.

 

our symbol.

Our logo consists of the letters “C” and “U” (Camlachie United) surrounding and supporting an “Ichthys”, an ancient Christian symbol also known as a “Jesus Fish”. The bowl-like form also references the Biblical story of Jesus feeding the crowd with 5 loaves and 2 fish with the help of a child. (Matthew 14)

our history.

Camlachie United Church had its early beginnings with the establishment of Bethel Methodist Church in 1860 in the area of Camlachie, Ontario. Camlachie became the head of the circuit of itinerant preachers in 1876.  The small early church was dismantled in 1889 and taken to Camlachie to assist in building a new church.  That structure was replaced by the new Camlachie United Church building (which is now the museum), with the opening and Dedication Service held on October 14, 1956.  Due to increased attendance and changing needs, an addition was added in 1981. Towards the end of that century, our thoughts turned again to a bigger building, fully accessible to all. After years of fundraising and searching for property, we erected the sign on our new property in October 2003, began construction in October 2007, opened Phase 1 of our new building on November 23, 2008, and held our first service in the new sanctuary on December 11, 2011.