On Sunday, August 27, 2023, a Deconsecration service was held at Knox United Church.
The Deconsecration of Knox United Church building means that the 114-year-old building will no longer be under the auspices of the United Church of Canada.
The congregation of Knox United church has moved to Christ Church Anglican church, with whom we have an Ecumenical Shared Ministry. The Knox church building was sold to Fernie Heritage Trust as of December 31, 2022.
The building is to be used as a community centre for the arts.
The Deconsecration service put together by Reverend Canon Andrea Brennan, our minister/priest for our Ecumenical Shared Ministry, was a beautiful service.
Various Knox Board members participated in the service. The service was presided over by Reverend Canon Andrea Brennan, Kathy Davies, Regional minister for the Pacific Mountain Region of the United Church of Canada and Lynne McNaughton, Archbishop for the Kootenay Diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada.
Mary Giuliano delivered a message on behalf Gordon Sombrowski and the Fernie Heritage Trust Board. Some of its representatives were also in attendance.
Scott Smith played the piano donated by Sharon Quail in memory of Wilda and Doug Quail, long time members of Knox United Church.
In attendance in person were approximately fifty people. This number included past minister Eva Stanley who served Knox United Church from 2003 to 2010, past and current members of the Knox United congregation, members of our Ecumenical Shared Ministry as well as people from the community of Fernie.
We also had a number of people who joined us via Zoom. These included other people in our Shared ministry, a message of good wishes from past minister Jane Clarke, who served Knox United Church from 2010 to 2017, as well as past Minister Judy Stark who gave a retrospective of her time as the minister of Knox United Church from 1999 to 2002.
The service consisted of greetings, prayers, Bible readings, hymns, a sermon and symbols that had once adorned Knox United Church sanctuary. The symbols were returned to the members of Knox Board and Trustees to be taken to Christ Church where we now worship with our Anglican friends in our Ecumenical Shared Ministry.
This Deconsecration service was a very moving service. It was a service of Thanksgiving and Praise to God for the 114 years of life that Knox United Church building has provided for the Knox congregations and the people of Fernie.
The Knox United Church building “built of tears and cries of laughter, prayers of faith and songs of grace,” and has been a place of worship and a welcoming place for all.
As we said “Goodbye” to our beloved church, the wonderful sounds of piano and fifty voices singing the hymns made the rafters ring!
After the service we went to Christ Church Anglican for a lovely luncheon feast and time of fellowship. A joyous day!
Submitted by Lynda M. Bird, Knox United Church