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 35-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. Tom, 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. Tom Hiscock

Rev. Tom Hiscock was born in Cadillac, Michigan. While growing up, he attended a United Methodist church. At age 5, he and his family moved to Portage, Michigan, just south of Kalamazoo. In 1970 he graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and became a teacher. In 1971, Tom, his wife Connie and their young daughter immigrated to Canada to avoid the Viet Nam War. In 1976 Tom graduated from Queen’s Theological College in Kingston with a Master of Divinity degree and was ordained by the United Church of Canada. Over the years, Tom has served congregations in Marathon, Sault Ste-Marie, Mandaumin and Tillsonburg, all in Ontario. Since 1991, he has been minister of Wesley-Knox United Church, London. Theologically, Tom says he is a liberal. He believes it is quite acceptable to question the Bible. Pastorally, he is committed to serving the entire congregation regardless of individual theological perspectives. He appreciates that we all work hard at being a family of diverse individuals. We value different points of view and what each person has to say.

 

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 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 and John Dominic Crossan were featured in the new DVD-based study series, First Light: Jesus and the Kingdom of God, which was offered at Wesley-Knox this fall and finished in the New Year.

 

• Come and learn! In the New Year, Wesley-Knox will be offering an exciting learning series. Each lecture will be followed by a question period.
   Wednesday, February 24, 7:30 pm: Raheel Raza: The Passion and Politics of Islam. The first woman to lead a Muslim worship service in Canada and author of Not My Jihad opens a window on Islam.
   Wednesday, March 3, 7:30 pm: Bruce Talman: What’s your Spiritual IQ? Stages of Spiritual Growth: the insights and wisdom of Ken Wilber.
   Wednesday, March 10, 7:30 pm: David Galston: The Comedy and Tragedy of Jesus.  A Jesus scholar and Fellow of the Jesus Seminar discusses what we can know about Jesus, how we know, and how our understandings of Jesus have changed over time.
   Wednesday, March 24, 7:30 pm: Felicia Urbanski: Those Heretical Unitarians! Reconsidering another stream of Christian thought from the first century to the present.
   All welcome. Freewill offering.

VIEW CHURCH MAP