1942: United Church Of Canada

The United Church of Canada, uniting the Congregational Churches of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Methodist Church (Canada), in 1941 raised a total of $11,991,680 for all purposes. The membership stood at 716,920 with 1,737,893 persons receiving pastoral oversight divided into 7,109 congregations. The total value of property owned amounts to $85,548,413.

During the year the church continued its efforts to liquidate the deficit on its missionary and general work which accumulated during the depression years. There has been a steady demand for Chaplains. About one hundred and fifty ministers are now serving in this capacity in the three branches of the Canadian Armed Forces, in addition to those who are in the Auxiliary Services or serving as combatants.

The General Council — the law making Court of the Church — met in September. It elected Dr. Victor T. Mooney Treasurer of the Church to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Dr. Robert Laird. Dr. J. C. Cochrane was appointed Secretary of the Department of Pensions as successor to Dr. S. W. Dean who has reached the age of retirement. The newly elected Moderator, the Rev. J. R. P. Sclater, is an outstanding preacher of Scottish background. He is the author of several books on homiletics and will bring to the tasks of the Church distinctive qualities of leadership.

Among the important enactments of the General Council were the setting up of a Board of Finance under a federal type of constitution embracing the Department of the Treasury, the Missionary and Maintenance Department and the Department of Pensions; the choosing of a Committee to outline a plan to secure support for the Pension Fund by a system of assessments upon pastoral charges instead of by annual grants from the Missionary and Maintenance Fund; the creation of a Board of Colleges and Secondary Schools to take over and administer an important field of educational work which formerly was administered as part of the duties of the Board of Christian Education; the acceleration of the theological course as a war emergency measure in order to keep home mission charges better supplied with ministers and the adoption of a plan in a few areas adjacent to theological colleges whereby two or more rural or suburban charges would be combined and served by one ordained minister assisted by theological students.

1941: United Church Of Canada

The United Church of Canada, uniting the Congregational Churches of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Methodist Church (Canada), raised a total in 1941 for all purposes of $11,547,037. The membership stood at 716,064 with 1,756,634 persons receiving pastoral oversight divided up into 7,239 congregations. The total value of property owned is over $85,549,557.

The Church sought during the year to make progress towards the liquidation of the deficit on its missionary and general work which accumulated during the depression years. At the present time more than $500,000, not included in the above totals, has been underwritten.

Over a hundred ministers are now serving as Chaplains to the Canadian Armed Forces or in connection with the Y.M.C.A. and Canadian Legion Auxiliary Services. This has made it difficult to carry on the normal work of the Church. The War Service Units of the congregations have furnished 1,250,000 articles of material aid to Canadian soldiers.

The Rev. Dr. Frank Langford, Secretary of the Board of Christian Education, died in February. The Rev. Dr. C. A. Myers has been appointed Acting Secretary pending the filling of the vacancy by General Council. Rev. Dr. F. C. Stephenson, who during his active ministry founded and inspired the Young People's Forward Movement for Missions throughout Canada, died in September.

The Moderator, the Right Rev. Aubrey S. Tuttle, M.A., D.D., LL.D., brought messages to Conferences, Presbyteries and Congregations throughout Eastern and Central Canada.

Among other important features in the life of the United Church during the year were the invitation to the heads of other Canadian Churches to appoint representatives to confer with representatives of the United Church relative to home missionary cooperation in Canada; the raising of $50,000 to aid British Churches overseas in carrying out their spiritual and social ministries in bombed out areas; the appointment of a Committee to study the problem created by the present number of Theological Colleges and the advisability of closing some in the interests of economy and a more vital educational policy; the appointment of Rev. Elias Andrews, M.A., B.D., and Rev. Ian MacKinnon, Ph.D., to the faculty of Pine Hill Divinity Hall, Halifax; the appointment of a special financial agent to act under the direction of the Board of Pensions to solicit special gifts for the capital of the Pension Fund; the official recognition of a Dominion Woman's Association Council and the adoption of a constitution to govern its activities and the setting up of a representative Commission on the Church, the Nation and the World Order, whose findings will be reported to the next General Council.

1940: United Church Of Canada

The union of the Congregational Churches of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Methodist Church (Canada), constituting the United Church of Canada, in 1940 raised a total of $11,673,098 for all purposes. The membership stood at 711,712 with 1,768,098 persons, divided into 7,389 congregations, receiving pastoral oversight.

During the year the War Service Committee was active. To date 697,000 useful articles have been sent to Canadian soldiers. Forty-three Chaplains are serving the Forces at home and overseas.

Throughout the Japanese Empire and the occupied areas in China foreign missionary work was carried on under increasing tension, culminating in partial evacuation, but in Free China, where The United Church has one of its largest missions, the greatest opportunity in a generation has presented itself.

The Ninth General Council met in September and elected Rev. Dr. Aubrey S. Tuttle as its Moderator. Among important enactments were the setting up of a Commission to carry out an impartial investigation of the Publishing House; the adoption of a plan arranged with the Government whereby the Church may receive matured War Savings Certificates purchased by its members; and the official recognition of the Lay Association and the adoption of a constitution to govern its activities. A 'Moderator's Fund' to augment the salaries of ministers receiving less than $1,200, was instituted by asking congregations to contribute two per cent of the amount paid for ministerial support; and an amendment to the Basis of Union enabling Conference Settlement Committees to settle ministers in emergencies during the Conference year and another amendment giving authority to the Transfer Committee to transfer Candidates for ordination to any Conference where their services are most needed were passed.

The Council also set forth a 'Statement of Faith' telling in concise form what the United Church conceives to be the substance of its belief and petitioned the Dominion Government to amend the 'National Resources Mobilization Act' so as to protect the individual conscientious objector as is done in Great Britain and the United States.

Two important centenaries were observed during the year, one of Robert T. Rundle, the first resident missionary in Alberta, the other of James Evans, who opened up work among the Indians at Norway House, one hundred miles north of Winnipeg.

In October the Church suffered a grave loss in the death of Dr. Robert Laird. He had been Treasurer of The United Church since Union. He was also President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches holding the Presbyterian System and as a Churchman was well known in Europe, Great Britain and the United States.

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.

1938: United Church Of Canada, The

The United Church of Canada, merging the Congregational Churches of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the Methodist Church (Canada), in 1938 raised a total of $11,500,000 for all purposes. The membership, divided up into 7,423 congregations, stood at 700,000, with 1,800,000 persons receiving pastoral oversight. The total value of property owned is over $110,000,000.

During the year the most important events in the life of The United Church were the adoption of the constitution of the proposed World Council of Churches; the decision to amalgamate The New Outlook and The Church Record so as to form a new national Church paper; an agreement with Presbyterians who did not enter union in 1925, enabling them to use legally the name 'The Presbyterian Church in Canada'; a provision to change the tenure of the Moderatorship from two years to one year to enable pastors to occupy the office; the launching of a campaign to raise $4,000,000 in order to wipe out an accumulated deficit on the Missionary and Maintenance Fund and to increase the reserves of the Pension Fund.

At the General Council held in September, the Rev. John W. Woodside of Ottawa was elected Moderator; Rev. Charles Endicott was appointed Acting Secretary of the Missionary and Maintenance Committee; Rev. J. R. Mutchmor was chosen to head the Board of Evangelism and Social Service. The Rev. Jesse Arnup represented the Church at the International Mission Council at Madras.

The United Church of Canada has increased confidence in the purpose which over thirteen years ago brought about Church union. In spite of a severe economic depression every area of settlement in Canada and Newfoundland has received the ministrations of the Church during the year. The Foreign Missionary enterprises have also been maintained in South China, West China, Central India, North Korea, Trinidad, Honan and Africa.