1939: United Church Of Canada, The

The United Church of Canada, composed of the Congregational Churches of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Methodist Church (Canada), in 1939 raised a total fund for all purposes of $11,671,147. The membership stood at 707,264 with 1,742,622 persons receiving pastoral oversight, divided into 7,422 congregations. The total value of property owned is over $86,101,391.

The most important events in the life of the United Church during the year were the establishment of a new national church paper named The United Church Observer under the editorship of Rev. A. J. Wilson with a circulation to date of 32,000; agreements entered into with the Church of England in Canada and the Presbyterian Church in Canada to cooperate in home missionary work at frontier points; the sending of Dr. Jesse H. Arnup. Foreign Missionary Secretary, as a delegate to the Madras Conference in India; the retirement of two veteran Home Mission Superintendents of 40 years service in the persons of Dr. G. A. Wilson and Dr. S. S. Osterhout; the sending of 1968 bales of clothing to the drought areas of the West; the adoption and publication of a new Youth Hymnal and the setting up of a Committee to study a plan to provide for better ministerial stipends.

At the outbreak of war in September, 75 ministers of the United Church declared themselves as conscientious objectors to the war. On the other hand the Church immediately set up a war Service Committee to provide material aid for Canadian soldiers at home and overseas. Nearly 1,000 units have been established to date by various congregations. Six United Church ministers were commissioned by the Department of National Defense to serve as Chaplains with the First Division now overseas, including Rev. H. A. Kent who was appointed Senior Chaplain of the Division. United Church ministers were appointed as Senior Chaplains of the Military Districts of St. John. Montreal, Toronto and Regina.

The work of the Church was steadily maintained in Canada and Newfoundland. Apart from closing the Honan Mission in China due to war conditions, foreign work was maintained at full strength in Japan. North Korea. Trinidad, West and South China, Central India and Africa.