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Living The Experience: 75 Years In The United Church of Canada (1925-2000) Edited by Graham A.D. Scott, Philip A. Cline & J. Ralph Watson PULL-QUOTES FOR LIVING THE EXPERIENCE Foreword Preface PANORAMAS OF THE EXPERIENCE 1. Philip A. Cline, "How Sounds the Trumpet?" I learned that the organizational structures of the church count for nothing if they do not support, resource and feed the lives of congregations large or small. 2. Angus J. MacQueen, "The United Church at 75" Unless the Church is where God is worshipped, the Bible and Christian doctrine are taught, and Jesus Christ is preached as both Lord and Saviour, we are operating under false pretenses. 3. C. Dwight Powell, "Methodist Born" "The Methodists were told that if they went into union the Presbyterians would swallow them up; the Presbyterians were told that if they went into union the Methodists would swallow them up. We did go into union, despite the warnings, and the Congregationalists swallowed us up." PERSONAL STORIES OF THE EXPERIENCE 4. Morley Clarke, "My 75 Years in the United Church" Today it is my prayer that over the next 75 years God will correct, unify, and renew our Church, beginning with me. 5. Aileen Eno, "Pies, Prayers and People" The question is asked in a tone both wistful and hopeful, "Is that pie for us or for the church?" 6. Jessie C. MacLeod, "Christian Education in the United Church" A sermon in the context of worship makes no allowance for questioning and discussion so essential in a teaching-learning situation. 7. Nathan Mair, "My Life in the United Church of Canada" God said simply, "I haven't called you to preach what you don't know, only what you do know." 8. Rayburn McColl, "My Call to Ministry" 9. Benjamin Smillie, "How My Mind Changed" God called for a preferential option for the poor. Theology must speak on behalf of those trapped in structural poverty. 10. Ernest R.R. Tetreault, "Personal Experiences within the United Church" "I have a vision of a church where people are welcomed because they are persons, not because they have a creedal passport; where Christ is exalted in the totality of what he was, and people are encouraged to respond to him because of what he is to them, now. I have a vision of a church where ministry is considered valid because it is born of the Spirit, and bears the fruit of the Spirit." 11. J. Ralph Watson, "The Church in Montreal: A Perspective" I believe that the Bishops "saved us from ourselves." While we were committed on paper to the vision of 1925 that we were not only a United Church but a Uniting Church, I don't believe we were ready for the sacrifice or the disruption involved. MULTI-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES OF THE EXPERIENCE 12. Thomas Gilchrist, "As From Mount Pisgah's Lofty Height" The seed was well and truly planted and when the weather improves, as by God's grace it most certainly will, the harvest of the church in Angola will present a most remarkable surprise to the world Family in Christ. Today the United Church in Zambia is the second largest Protestant church in Zambia. The denomination is seeing membership increases of tens of thousands a year, as are other Christian churches throughout Africa. 13. Hiraku Iwai, "Japanese Christian Workers" In 1967 there were ten Japanese pastoral charges in Canada. The closest charge to Southern Alberta was Okanagan Japanese Pastoral Charge, about 1,000 miles away. 14. May Komiyama, "Progress in Seventy-Five Years" I am very proud of the fact that our church has had and hopefully will continue to have leaders that are not afraid of carrying out the teachings in the gospel not only by word but by action in daily living. 15. Rayburn McColl, "Plenty Skokum" 16. Dorris Montour, "Living our Experience" A non-native minister was assigned several churches on a monthly basis to offer Sacraments. There were already a few native pastors but in the early seventies consultations were held on various reserves across Canada. They felt the time had come when we should have our own theological centres. 17. Frances Wallbridge, "Memories of Angola" During the year crowds of people gathered at the mission for special church events. These were Week of Prayer, Easter, Pentecost and Harvest Festival. Some of those attending had walked two and three days carrying their food, cooking utensils, blankets and clothing. REFLECTIONS ON THE EXPERIENCE 18. William O. Fennell, "Personal Impressions" Beyond all faulty theology, all questionable elements of worship, all failures in mission, is the Reality of Christ's presence as God's gift of forgiveness and enabling grace. 19. John Webster Grant, "Treasures Old and New" Even from the outset there was an implicit suggestion that the United Church of Canada had the entire Christian heritage open to it. 20. Douglas John Hall, "The United Church of Canada: A religious drama in three acts" Our activism, or some of it, has hit enough barriers to mere act and exhortation to make more of us want to look for the foundations of Christian action. 21. Ian Outerbridge, "A Leaky Vessel" How totally consistent and complete is the Christian faith and its promise that the individual's whole self will be realized in and through Jesus Christ. 22. A. McKibbin Watts, "Seventy-Five Years in Passing" All Christians must bear a double citizenship, and the psalter is the place where, Sunday in and Sunday out, we can most readily be reminded of this. It is my hope that regular use of the final large section of Voices United will bring home to United Church members that we are not only citizens of a country containing Mount Robson and Mount Royal, but also of a country containing Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. Biographies of the Contributors The Basis of Union Doctrine: The Twenty Articles
Copies of this 75th anniversary edition can still be purchased at $10 a copy postpaid from: Church Alive Please make cheques payable to: Church Alive.
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