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Our Mission/Vision Statement
Our Mission at Home United Church is to be a warm and welcoming, inclusive community, empowered by the Holy Spirit, rooted and growing through the guidance of Jesus Christ. We reach out to the world around us with love, faith and healing compassion.



EVENTS

Christmas Eve Family service at 4pm

*We will next gather for Sunday morning worship on January 7th, 2024 at 10:30am

We are delighted to welcome Rev. Grant Williams for a new ministry appointment with Home Church beginning on January 01, 2024

HISTORY

The history of the church in this community dates from the year 1829. ln the early pioneer days the Counties of Peel and York were known as the Home District; hence the name of the place of worship in this area from early days received the name of Home Church. A Scotchman from Alloa in Scotland, who built a saw mill on the farm where this present church stands, named the little settlement Alloa, after his home-town. There was also a post-office in a store, a butcher shop, a slaughter house, a blacksmith and carriage shop, 2 hotels and several dwellings.

ln 1829, William Clarridge of the township of Chinguacousy gave land on lot 15 on the third line west, for a school house to be erected thereon, and a burying ground on the adioining land. An annual rent of one barley-corn (1 kernel) was to be paid by the trustees, Williams Fox, George Ferguson and Jacob Shook on the tenth day of July, yearly, if demanded. Erected on this land was to be a free school and meeting house for the use of the neighbours and families in the Home district. The schoolhouse was built and, on April 16th, 1831, a meeting was held in the new building for the purpose of drawing up a plan for the burying ground and dividing it into lots. Many of the pioneers, who worshipped in the schoolhouse, as well as others, were buried in plots in the adjacent cemetery.

There is no definite record of how long the school was used as a place of worship, but, after a period of years, a small log church was erected on the west side of the 3rd line, close to the present home of Mrs. Florence Moddison.

The second church was a brick building, built in 1862, on the corner of lot 16 on the third line west, on the farm of William Drinkwater. The land for the church was not bought, but rented for 999 years at an annual rental of one grain of barley-corn. The brick for this church, which was known as a Methodist Episcopal Church, was made on the farm just a few rods from the building. The white brick, used for the corners, was brought from Little York. The brick was laid by Levi Fuller, a member of the congregation.

The first trustees of this church and also of the cemetery were Wm. Clarridge and George Freeman. Other names recorded are: Jas. Coventry, Thomas Young, Joshua Kelly, Wm. Drinkwater, Wm. Cain, Jas. Graydon, Edward Rice, Joseph Mothersill, Jonathan Rice, Henry Clarridge, Levi Fuller, Henry Shook, Wm. Dunn Dolson, Jas. Ovens, Alpheus Clarridge and Mahlon Silverthorn. Descendants of the Fuller, Dolson and Silverthorn families are still active on the church roll.

Home Church was dedicated as a Methodist Episcopal Church, hence the M.E. on the date stone. The church was opened in December, 1862, with the pastor of the charge, Rev. Owen Grafton Colimer, conducting the services.

In 1884, the Methodist Episcopal, Primitive Methodist and Wesleyan Methodist Churches united to become the Methodist Church of Canada. According to early records, the Brampton Circuit Methodist Church comprised eight classes, namely: Brampton, Salmonville, Sitzers, Home, Springbrook, Proctors, Pages and Churchville. Brampton became self-sustaining in 1884. Some of the other classes became parts of other circuits leaving Churchville, Home, Salmonville, Springbook and Pages.

The Services, or Classes, as they were frequently called, were taken by local preachers or leaders several times each month, as the minister on the circuit could only travel to 3 or 4 appointments each Sunday.

On June 10th, 1925, Home Methodist Church entered Church Union and became Home United Church. On August 22nd,1926, the Rev. H. E. Payne, assisted by a former pastor, Rev. C, A. Simpson, conducted the closing service of the church. Mrs. Wm. Graydon, who had been a former member and organist for many years, presided at the organ.

The corner stone of the present building was laid October 27,1926, on land donated by Mr. T. O. Dolson, by Rev. W. J. Smith, of St. Paul's Church, Brampton, moderator of Peel and Dufferin Presbytery. The following were the names of the building committee: H. H. Clark, Wm. D. Ovens, Charles Carney, Clarence Dolson, Russell Pawley, John Ellis, John Garbutt, Roy Russell, James McCulloch, W. J. Taylor.

On Sunday morning, May 15, 1927, the new church was dedicated by Rev. l. G. Bowles, a former pastor, assisted by Rev. C, A. Simpson and Rev. H. E. Payne, the church minister. The evening service was conducted by Rev. J. Ewing Reid, of Alhambra United Church, Toronto, Rev, H. E. Payne, Rev. Neil McKinnon of Norval United Church and Rev. Ewing McDonald of the Norval Presbyterian Church.

The Pipe Organ in the church was purchased from Arthur United Church and donated by the W. J. Taylor family.

On May 19, 1930, the third anniversary of the church, the mortgage was burnt and the church declared free of debt. Rev. T. Albert Moore, secretary of the United Church, conducted the service.

What happens on Sunday morning?

Our traditional worship service begins at 10:30 and lasts about an hour. After the service we always have a social time, with coffee/tea and juice, and usually some snacks, and occasionally a full lunch.

Where should I park?

We have a small parking lot out behind the church. You can park along the north wall of the church, or along the driveway beside the church building, or in the drive shed at the back. If the parking lot is full, we recommend parking on Creditview Road, not on Mayfield. There are accessible parking spots along the side of the church for those with mobility issues, and one spot reserved for first-time visitors!

After you park, you are welcome to enter the church through the big front doors on Mayfield, or you can enter through the back door from the parking lot; if you come in the back door, just go down the stairs, through the main hall, and up the stairs to the sanctuary (don’t worry . . .there are signs pointing the way!).

Is there a dress code?

The only dress code is that we ask you to be dressed. Beyond that, we expect you are fully capable of choosing what you would like to wear.

What other activities do you have during the week?

Throughout the year we also have social activities, such as our Progressive Dinner and Friendship Dinner, as well as Bazaars and a Beef Dinner Fundraiser, which draw big crowds and are a lot of fun!

Do you rent out the church facilities?

Home UC may make its space available to outside groups when it’s not in use by the church, but due to structural limitations, we have to be very selective about frequency and group size. Please contact the church if you are interested or have questions.

How can we get married at Home UC?

Home UC is a lovely country setting for small, intimate weddings. If you are interested in being married at our church, please contact the church.

How can I keep up-to-date with what’s going on?

Keep an eye on this website, join the Home United Church Facebook group, or come and join us on Sunday mornings.