We accept the Bible as the shared standard for our faith. 

You are not required to adhere to any particular creed or formulation of doctrine.

To become a member of the United Church, we ask you to profess their faith in the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and to commit themselves to faithful conduct in the church and in the world. 

The United Church does, however, from time to time produce statements of faith that articulate our theology in the language of the time. A New Creed is a well-loved statement of faith used in many United Church congregations. Our most recent faith statement, A Song of Faith, which is quoted throughout this section, seeks to provide a verbal picture of what the United Church understands its faith to be in an early 21st-century context.

The Bible is central to The United Church of Canada. As a source of wisdom, personal prayer, and devotion, we believe that reading and studying the Bible can bring us closer to God. It remains one of our best ways of experiencing God’s continuing work of creation and liberation in the world, while offering us forgiveness, healing, and new life in Jesus.

We often refer to scripture as “the Word of God.” By this we mean that the writer was inspired by God, and that, through the reading of scripture, God speaks to us in our time and place.

These old, old stories—the various books that make up the Bible—are a living word that speaks in new and fresh ways to each generation. Yet we also know that they are the stories of two ancient communities—ancient Israel and the early Christian movement—trying to be faithful to God under difficult circumstances.

The stories and teachings in the Bible have a mysterious power to inform our lives. But some of what was experienced and written then doesn’t fit with today’s world. For example, there are passages in the Bible that may be read to condone slavery or condemn homosexuality. We do not accept those interpretations.

The United Church celebrates two sacraments: baptism and communion.

A sacrament is a symbolic action, or ritual, by which people of faith encounter the presence and goodness of God. In a sacrament, ordinary things like water, bread, and wine are used to point us to God and God’s love, reminding us of the sacred in life. In the United Church, we celebrate two sacraments: baptism, the ritual that formally recognizes we belong to the Christian community, and communion, a symbolic meal initiated by Jesus. These sacraments are of central importance to our faith.

Baptism is a symbolic action that signifies the new life God gives us as we join the church community. Baptism uses water as a symbolic cleansing that signifies the acceptance of new life within the church family. The sacrament of baptism is the single rite of initiation into the Christian community, the church.

The United Church offers baptism to all ages. We believe the gift of God’s love doesn’t depend on our ability to understand it, so we baptize people as infants right up through adulthood. With children, instruction is given to parents or sponsors to equip them for the child’s Christian nurture. During the ceremony, which usually takes place as part of a regular worship service, everyone in the congregation pledges support for the child and their parents.

We see baptism as a celebration, witnessing with water to a grace beyond our comprehension, but active in our church and in our lives. 

We seek to build community through this sacrament, hoping to make real and lasting connections with those who seek baptism that we may be Christ’s church in the world together.

Take a look at Westminster Baptism Sacrament.

The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist—these different terms refer to the same sacrament shared by most Christian denominations, a symbolic meal.

Communion is celebrated at a table that suggests the dining table in our homes. At the communion table, we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the host and all are guests. The meal uses the symbols of small pieces of bread and a taste of wine or juice to remind us of Jesus’ last supper with his followers and of God’s enduring love.

The United Church practises an open table, inviting all who seek to love Jesus to share in this family meal. Each may choose for themselves, but know you are always invited and welcome to partake.

In the United Church, we see each person as a unique, loved creation of God and welcome all people to the full life of Christian community, including marriage. We believe God intends loving relationships to be faithful, responsible, just, healing, and sustaining of the couple and those around them, and that such relationships require preparation and nurture. The United Church celebrates the marriage of

• same-sex couples
• previously divorced people
• couples of different religions
• all people who believe in Jesus Christ and want to live faithful to his way

Westminster United Church is open to all people, including for their marriage. 

All marriages performed at Westminster are required to take a form of marriage preparation counselling. Click here to see what Westminster offers.

Jesus welcomed everyone, whether they were poor, rich, or just getting by; ill or healthy; self-made or educated; popular or a loner; secure or full of doubts.

The United Church prides itself on being open and welcoming as Jesus was, regardless of age, race, class, gender, orientation, or physical ability. Children, for example, aren’t viewed as adults-in-waiting; they’re full and welcome participants at the heart of each congregation, bringing ideas and unique talents that can inspire the entire church.

We believe that we strengthen one another to work, through God’s grace, for a better world. To this end, we cooperate with other churches, faith traditions, and people of goodwill to eliminate poverty and injustice, identify its root causes, and protect those who are most vulnerable. Throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as in our own country, the United Church works with churches and organizations we call partners by supporting work they see as vital to their well-being. This enables us to go far beyond our normal reach in responding to injustice.

Christian stewardship is everything we think, say, and do after we say “I believe.”

Stewardship and discipleship is

• how we spend our time, and employ our talents and gifts
• how we care for our bodies and make healthy choices
• how we set our priorities around money and possessions
• how we manage our relationships, care for the environment, and practise our faith

We participate in God’s mission by giving the gifts that God has entrusted to us. These gifts are everything that we have: our time, our talents and skills, and our treasure or material resources.

We become stewards and disciples when we realize God’s grace in our lives. This inspires us to respond with gratitude and generosity by

• being thankful: thanking God in prayer and worship
• taking care: being caretakers of all that has been given to us
• giving generously from what we have been given to make a difference in our world