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Welcome to McDougall United Church
"In the Heart of the City"
More than a wonderful historic treasure, McDougall is a spiritually alive, diverse, inclusive Christian community moving into the future. We cherish our heritage, but are committed to being the Church in a new way for a new century.
Today, as a downtown church, we are a diverse, inclusive community of people. Worship is the central act of our life together.
We invite you to check us out and review Our Mission, Our Purpose and Our Covenant to determine if we might be the spiritual community you are looking for.
Our Mission
Our mission is to fill hungry hearts, with the life of the Spirit, through the unconditional love of God.
Our Purpose
Based on the foundational aspects expressed in Our Covenant, McDougall United Church seeks
- to bridge the gulf separating spirituality with institutional religion
- to encourage everyone's spiritual journey
- to be a place of spiritual renewal and growth
- to worship God to find comfort, connection, healing and inspiration
- to respond to the needs of the wider community
Our Covenant
As a Christian faith community in downtown Edmonton:
We are rooted in worship that continues to reflect a pioneering spirit through innovative and traditional liturgies, variety in music, and the active engagement of the worshipper.
We are committed to accepting into fellowship and, according to their gifts, into leadership, persons of any race, gender, transgender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or disability.
We are dedicated to programs, services and opportunities which nurture spiritual and theological growth, and which demand that we work toward a more just and compassionate society.
We actively and prayerfully seek partnerships with the wider community.
We believe God is not limited to the notions of the past, nor of our time.
We recognize that our knowledge of God is partial and confined, and that there is more light and truth to be discovered.
Such is the joy and excitement of the Christian quest of McDougall United Church.
The United Church of Canada
 Moderator: Rt. Rev. Richard Bott
Rev. Richard Bott was elected the 43 Moderator of the United Church of Canada at the General Council meeting in Oshawa, Ontario in July 2018. He recently served as the minister for Pacific Spirit United Church in Vancouver, and is well known for his skills as a leader, writer, and educator. He will be the church’s spiritual leader for the next three years.
United Church History
 The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant Church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second largest Christian Church in Canada.
The United Church was founded in 1925 as a merger of four Protestant denominations: the Methodist Church of Canada, the Congregational Union of Ontario and Quebec, two-thirds of the congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the Association of Local Union Churches.
United Church Structure
In structure, the United Church has a “bottom up” governance, where the congregation selects its clergy, rather than clergy being appointed by a bishop or other body.
The policies of the church are inclusive and liberal: there are no restrictions of gender, sexual orientation or marital status for a person considering entering the ministry.
Interfaith marriages are recognized; communion is offered to all Christian adults and children, regardless of denomination or age.
United Church Governance
Our national body is the General Council, headquartered in Toronto, and our Moderator, elected every three years, is the highest official position. The four courts of governance are:
- Pastoral Charge (congregation)
- Presbytery (local level)
- Conference (regional)
- General Council (national).
At the regional level, McDougall United Church belongs to the Alberta and Northwest Conference, and at the local level, to the Edmonton Presbytery.
The national office of the United Church of Canada maintains an extensive and informative website.
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