Winnipeg Unitarian Universalist Church Marks 125 Years of Justice and Outreach

One of Winnipeg’s oldest faith communities is marking 125 years of work in pursuit of equity and exploration. In 1891, Icelandic settlers led by Bjorn Petursson and Jennie McCaine Petursson founded the First Unitarian Church, with a sanctuary built at Pacific Avenue (formerly Nena) and Sherbrook Street. The congregation they started now meets as the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg at 603 Wellington Cres.

Unitarian Universalism (UU) combines two religious traditions that date back to the Protestant Reformation. According to the source, Unitarianism rejects the notion of a Holy Trinity within Christianity, while Universalism arose as a response to Calvinism and spread the message that all people have divinity and goodness within. Over time, the UU movement has embraced all major faiths, drawn inspiration from secular teachings, and operated on principles of justice and equity.

Lois Whyte, a longtime member, said the congregation includes atheists, Christians, Hindus, and people who do not subscribe to one specific religion or belief. Over her membership of nearly 40 years, she said, the diversity of faith experience has “stretched her soul.” She described finding “a place of openness where there was no prescribed religious dogma,” where members were encouraged “to go on a journey of faith discovery.”

Interim Rev. Nicoline Guerrier said that, while members explore different faiths and experiences, they are united in the common principles of justice, equity, compassion, and the inherent worth and dignity of every person. The source reports that members have pursued social justice in different ways over the decades. Historical records show local Unitarians active in the women’s suffrage movement before 1905. In 1974, the congregation granted one of the country’s first same-sex marriage certificates to a local couple, though the source notes the marriage was not recognized by the province. Guerrier said the congregation and the minister of that time “saw an inequity in terms of who could marry in Canada, and so they took a stand.”

The church also takes part in the local Pride parade, where it hosts a non-denominational, welcoming Sunday service in Memorial Park. More recently, the congregation has responded to the Syrian refugee crisis through sponsorship initiatives, has taken part in poverty reduction programs, and hosts a weekly food bank for community members.

June Gislason founded the food bank 25 years ago to involve the church in the community more deeply, according to food bank co-ordinator Brian Klowak. Gislason died in 2014. Every Thursday, the church offers a welcoming place for people experiencing food insecurity to collect what they need for the month. Between 40 and 80 people attend, and about 20 volunteers help keep it running. Offering a welcome to the hungry in this way reflects the hospitality described in Matthew 25:35. Klowak said Gislason “had a vision and wanted to help people whose lives weren’t as plentiful as ours,” and that the food bank is arranged so clients control which items they take. He added, “We embrace the value of mutual respect and making a safer space for everyone.”

While reflecting on 125 years, the congregation is also in a transition period as it looks for a permanent minister. Guerrier said justice and outreach will continue to define the community as it moves forward. She said that, because Winnipeg is geographically isolated, the congregation’s longevity is “real testimony to the generations that have built and sustained this church.”

Guerrier added that the congregation is “a place where people with vision and commitment work really hard to build a place they love and a movement that represents a liberal voice in an area of Canada that has had a lot of conservatism in terms of religion.”

Source: Read the original report