Strathmore United Church 50th Anniversary

Times Contributor

 

In 1906, the population of Strathmore was around 200. Hardly big enough to support two churches, one would think, but, at this time, there were Methodist and the Presbyterian churches. 

Research shows there were no members of the Congregational Church in this area at the time. In 1918, the Presbyterian and Methodist churches merged to form The Union Church, and then on June 10, 1925, a Congregational Church joined to form the United Church of Canada. It is interesting to note that by this time Strathmore’s population had grown to 1,025. The original United Church building was located where the Provincial Courthouse now stands. 

The congregation in the 1950’s was made up from members and adherents from several surrounding communities like Ardenode, Cheadle, Lyalta, Namaka, Nightingale, and beyond, who had agreed to attend Strathmore United Church for all services. The current building was dedicated on Sept. 22, 1963. On June 22, 1972, a mortgage burning ceremony was held. 

Originally, the United Church had 2,700 pastoral charges, of which 1,750 were in rural areas. This meant they were centered in towns and villages whose populations were no more than 2,000. Today, about 200,000 people attend services in 3,362 pastoral charges across Canada on a regular basis.

According to the town office our current population is 12,352.

We look forward to seeing you all on Sept. 22, when we will celebrate 50 years of service to this vibrant and growing community.