February 25, 2007 was an historic date in Toronto's Beach neighbourhood when two long-standing religious institutions decided to unite. By an almost unanimous vote, Bellefair United Church and Kew Beach United Church made the radical move to amalgamate their congregations.
The vote was a year-long process entered into when both churches had been facing declining congregations and financial difficulties. They felt that amalgamation presented a solution that also created an exciting vision for the future.
2007 and 2008 was a time of bridging for the two churches as they explored their new identity and eventually their permanent home. In 2009, after a lengthy property review process, the church voted to sell the property located at 2000 Queen Street East and use the proceeds of that sale to develop the Wineva Avenue site.
The United Church Creed
We are not alone,
we live in God's world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God's presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.