Our congregation traces its Presbyterian history to 1835, its Methodist roots to the 1820’s and its Quaker heritage to 1807. These distinct traditions, along with The Bible Christian Church which started in the Village in the late 1850’s, have provided a rich spiritual heritage.
Pickering United Church was born in 1930 by the union of the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and St. Paul’s Methodist Church. St. Andrew’s Church of Scotland had been establisthed in Pickering Village in 1841. The Church building on Kingston Road, which later became Pickering United, was erected in 1891 at a cost of approximately $4,000. St. Paul’s, which stood on the present site of the Montessori School on Kingston Road, was built in 1879 as the Canadian Methodist Church, replacing the old Wesleyan Methodist Church on Elizabeth Street. This building was eventually sold and, after being used for various purposes, was finally torn down in 1957.
In order to serve the needs of a growing congregation, a Christian Education Centre was erected behind the sanctuary of Pickering United Church in two phases between 1957 and 1961.
By the mid-eighties it was becoming obvious that the rapid growth of the community had outpaced the capacity of the Church building. A Church Development Committee was established to find a solution to the problem and, after much deliberation, the Committee recommended that a major expansion of the existing sanctuary be undertaken.
However because of the physical constraints inherent in the Kingston Road location, it soon became evident that a larger site was required. In early 1988, after prayerful consideration, the congregation decided to sell the property and move to a location that would better fill the long term needs of the community.
The sod turning ceremony for our present three acre site, donated by developer John Boddy, took place on September 11, 1988. The splendid new 25,000 square foot facility, erected at an approximate cost of $1,500,000, was completed in the summer of 1989 and we held our first service on September 10. The formal dedication took place on September 24, 1989. The changing of our name to Pickering Village United Church coincided with the move to the new premises.
In 1991 we celebrated 150 years as a continuing congregation. Through the years in our present building, God continues to bless us as we face the exciting challenges of rapid growth and seize the many opportunities to serve.
Celebrating our 200th Anniversary on Sunday, October 29, 2017
With Skits reminding us of our past.
With former and present minister and our MPP Joe Dickson
With a Birthday Cake!