Bells Corners United Church is a congregation of the United Church of Canada active in the community of Ottawa West. We welcome people from all backgrounds and orientations—wherever you are in your faith journey.
We have open services on Sundays at 10 am with activities for all ages. There are various gatherings during the week for specific interests. We offer celebrations of Baptism, Communion, Weddings, Funerals and the meaningful moments of life.
Our mission
The mission of Bells Corners United Church is to celebrate God's presence and to advance God's purpose within our local community and the global village by applying Christ's teachings. We carry out this mission, as servants of God and ambassadors of Christ, by providing to members, adherents, and others, individually and collectively, opportunities to:
Rejoice:
expressing our communion with God through meaningful worship;
Renew:
fostering Christian fellowship and love;
sharing Christ's good news, and fostering spiritual and intellectual growth in the knowledge of God's Word and the ways of the Spirit, through Christian education and prayer;
Respond:
seeking justice and well-being for all humanity, including future generations regardless of creed, colour, or race;
exercising responsible stewardship;
Reach Out:
reaching out to assist those in spiritual, physical, economic or social need;
participating in the mission of The United Church of Canada;
joining with other congregations, churches, and faiths to pursue God's work.
Affirming
Bells Corners United Church welcomes people of all genders and sexual orientations. We also strive to welcome and include people of all ages, abilities and ethnicities.
Since the fall of 2023, the congregation has been actively engaged in a process of listening, learning, reflection and discernment as we consider making a formal and on-going commitment to being an Affirming Ministry. When we are ready to make an informed decision, a congregational vote will be taken.
For more information about Affirming Ministries, visit Affirm United.
The United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is one of the largest Protestant denominations in Canada. It ministers to almost three million people worshipping in 3677 Congregations or Preaching Places.
The United Church of Canada was inaugurated on June 10, 1925, in Toronto, Ontario, when the Methodist Church (Canada), the Congregational Union of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and the small General Council of Union Churches entered into union. It was the first union of churches in the world to cross historical denominational lines and hence received international acclaim. Impetus for the union arose out of the concerns for serving the vast Canadian northwest and in the desire for better overseas mission.
The merger in 1925 had one major dissenting voice: Approximately thirty percent of the Presbyterians refused to enter the merger and continued as the Presbyterian Church of Canada.
In fulfillment of its mandate to be a "uniting" Church, the United Church has been enriched by several unions since 1925; notably, The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Bermuda (1930), and Canada Conference of The Evangelical United Brethren Church (1968).
Recently, the Anglican Church of Canada and The United Church of Canada have begun an ongoing dialogue. These are the first formal conversations between the two denominations since the 1970s.
The United Church of Canada was structured to empower the Congregations to act relatively autonomously, though under the guidelines of the United Church. As such, there is no single individual setting rules and policy.
The Pastoral Charge is the fundamental unit of the United Church and includes one or more Congregations. Where necessary some Congregations are grouped into a single Pastoral Charge to share the spiritual leadership of a Minister. Each Pastoral Charge is governed by either a Session, Church Board, or Church Council and operates within the guidelines of the United Church of Canada.
Bells Corners United Church is part of the Eastern Ontario Outaouais Regional Council (EOORC). The EOORC consists of 133 pastoral charges and more than 200 communities of faith.
The General Council is the highest legislative court, consisting of members elected by the Conferences. The General Council meets every three years to consider and set policy. The General Council is advised by approximately 80 committees and task groups, composed of elected members, volunteers, and General Council staff.
More about the United Church of Canada
Broadview, a monthly magazine published by the United Church