Wesley-Knox United Church

Wesley-Knox is a uniting as well as a United church. Founded in 1874, the present building was erected in 1881 and enlarged in 1908. At that time, it was known as Askin Street Methodist Church. After church union in 1925, it was renamed Wesley United Church. In 1972, it amalgamated with Knox United Church, and in 2006, with Centennial United Church. 

 

Open doors, open hearts, open minds...

 

We try to be a welcoming, caring church. About one half of our members come from the immediate neighbourhood, the rest from all over London. We are not a church that has all the answers. Some of us are settled in our faith, others are seekers. But wherever we are on our faith journeys, we try to be respectful of one another as we come together to proclaim and celebrate the love of God through worship and through service.

About the Service

We gather on Sunday mornings at 10:30. Services are traditional, but definitely not stuffy! Additional services are offered during Advent and Holy Week.

 

About the Neighbourhood

Wesley-Knox is located in Wortley Village in the heart of Old South London. With many shops and restaurants (the majority are independent businesses), schools and churches, this is a neighbourhood where you can live quite happily without a car. Wortley Village has been named one of the ten best places to live in Canada. For more information, visit <www.wortleyvillage.com> and <www.wortleyvillageneighbours.com>.

 

Quick Facts

How do people dress for service?

Most people dress as they would when visiting a friend. Some like to wear their “Sunday best”. It’s every person’s choice!

What music is used during Sunday service?

Wesley-Knox is well-known for the quality of its worship and its music. Most services are led by our 30-voice senior choir and a magnificent three-manual pipe organ. Additional music is often provided by the primary, junior, youth or handbell choirs.

What do you have for children?

Children 3 and under are cared for in a supervised nursery. Children 4–11 attend the first part of Sunday service. After children’s time with Rev. David they leave for Sunday School. Young people 12 and over meet in the Centennial Parlour for Youth Forum.

What happens after Sunday service?

Many gather in the Centennial Parlour to meet friends and have a cup of fair trade coffee, tea or juice.

Do you have parking?

The parking lot on the east side of the church accommodates only about 20 cars, but there is lots of on-street parking. On Sundays, regulars, including Rev. Tom, park on the street to leave church parking places for those who really need them.

Is Wesley-Knox handicap accessible?

Yes. The east side entrance is completely wheelchair accessible. Our sanctuary is on the same level as the east side entrance. An elevator is available to take people to other levels of the church.

Where can I find answers to other questions?

Our website, listed above, can help. You can also reach our minister, office staff or volunteers by telephoning 519.673.4803.

Church Minister

Rev. Dr. David McKane

 

David McKane is our gift to us as we search for a new settled minister. Born and raised in Northern Ireland, David came to Canada as a teenager. A graduate of Laurentian University, he attended Emmanual College in Toronto, was ordained in 1970, and then did further study at Queen’s University in Belfast. David has served in churches in Ireland, Nova Scotia and Ontario. In 2001, he left the last of his Toronto charges, Eglinton United Church, to become senior minister of  First–St. Andrew’s United Church, London. Over the years, David has served the United Church at every level. A gifted preacher, David has written for Word and Witness, a preaching journal, for over 25 years. He is also long-time conductor of the Question Box column in the United Church Observer. He holds a doctorate in Narrative Theology from the University of Toronto and was a member of the committee that produced our Voices United hymn book. A gardener, woodworker, poet, admirer of the poet Robbie Burns, and canoeist, David officially retired from ministry in 2010. In his “retirement” David now serves the wider community as a board member of L’Arche London. David lives in London. He and his wife Susan, a teacher at Merrymount Children’s Centre, have three grown children, Jeanne, Pamela and Erin, and two grandchildren, Olivia and Ella.

 

Also of interest...

 

• In 1882, Jack Addie and Joe Ludgate, who met at a worship service in what is now Wesley-Knox, organized the first Salvation Army corps in Canada. Jack and Joe are depicted in a stained glass window on the southwest corner of the sanctuary, preaching outside the original Covent Garden Market on King Street, London. This window, the 1972 gift of the Salvation Army to Wesley-Knox, commemorates the 90th Anniversary of the Salvation Army in Canada.

 

• In June 2009, Wesley-Knox hosted a Marcus Borg lecture series. Marcus, one of the world’s leading Jesus scholars and author or co-author of some 16 books on God, Jesus and the Bible presented four lectures on Re-imaging the Christian Faith and delivered the Sunday sermon. Marcus was featured in the new 5-week DVD-based study series, Embracing and Adult Faith, that Wesley-Knox offered in the fall. To learn about programs that Wesley-Knox will offer in the spring, visit  the Wesley-Knox website, www.wesleyknox.org.

 

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