Cementing A Faith Foundation

WINNIPEG, MB – More than 300 United Church of Canada delegates from across Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario voted unanimously on Saturday, May 23, 2009 to partner with The University of Winnipeg in inviting the Church’s national office to relocate from Toronto to Winnipeg. It would mean 170 people would be added to Winnipeg’s downtown workforce.

The University of Winnipeg is built on the foundation of the United Church. UWinnipeg received its charter in 1967 but its roots date back more than 130 years. The founding colleges were Manitoba College (1871), and Wesley College (1888), which merged to form United College in 1938.

Today, The University of Winnipeg is publicly-owned but it maintains its traditional ties as one-third of UWinnipeg’s Board of Regents are appointed by the United Church.

“This is a joint proposal from the regional United Church and the University. The possibilities for cooperation are wide open,” said Caryn Douglas, Feasibility Study Coordinator, engaged by both the Church and the University. “The University could house offices, there could be an integration of the Church’s Archives, perhaps some imaginative shared programming. Both the Church and the University are committed to being leaders in creating strong and healthy communities. There is a natural connection. Fuelling the overall vision is the desire to play a strong leadership role that will promote cooperation, justice and peace in downtown Winnipeg.

UWinnipeg’s Faculty of Theology is a leader in theological education in Winnipeg and is assuming a national role as host of the G8 Religious Leaders Summit in 2010.

“This time next year, up to 100 religious leaders from diverse faiths including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Indigenous Spirituality and Shinto traditions will gather in Winnipeg at the invitation of UWinnipeg and the Canadian Council of Churches,” said James Christie, Secretary General of the G8 Religious Leaders 2010 Summit and Dean of Theology at UWinnipeg. “The timing could not be better for the United Church of Canada to be based here in Winnipeg.”

Relocating the United Church’s national office to Winnipeg would also build synergies with the strong presence of other denominations in the city. The National Synod Office of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and Mennonite Central Committee are both located in Winnipeg as are the headquarters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada and the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada. The city has a diverse cultural population, a strong ecumenical community and affordable real estate prices compared to other cities in Canada. Two United Church Conference Offices are already located in Winnipeg – the All Native Circle Conference and the Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.

The national gathering of United Church’s General Council will consider the relocation proposal in August.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Bruce Faurschou, Executive Secretary, Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Conference of the United Church of Canada
204-233-8911, ext. 231; bfaurshou@confmnwo.mb.ca

Caryn Douglas, Feasibility Study Coordinator
204-487-2076; caryndouglas@shaw.ca

Jim Christie, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, The University of Winnipeg
204-786-9247;j.christie@uwinnipeg.ca