• Home
  • About
  • Ministry
  • Join Us
  • Events
  • Gallery
  • Prayer Requests
  • Contact

905-894-0392

Find Us
ministry@firstunitedsherkston.com
First United Church Sherkston First United Church Sherkston First United Church Sherkston First United Church Sherkston
  • Home
  • About
  • Ministry
  • Join Us
  • Events
  • Gallery
  • Prayer Requests
  • Contact

OUR MISSION

Serving our community since 1863

To promote faith in God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

To experience the love of God.

To live in peace within a troubled world.

To reach out to others to show we believe.

Our History

The United Brethren Denomination

The United Brethren, as a denomination, had its roots in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was started about 1776 by two German gentlemen – Philip Otterbein and Martin Boehm – who met during a revival meeting in a barn near Lancaster. The two main themes of the denomination focused on personal assurance of salvation and separation of personal lives from worldliness. The people were humble and zealous. There was a lot of interest in evangelism of the community and the world to promote their faith. Missionaries, such as Rev CE Price, were sent out in 1853-1855 to various places including Upper Canada (later known as Ontario). Many of the services were held in barns, houses or schools since there were very few churches available at the time.

The Wesleyan Methodists were granted permission during or just prior to 1863 to build a church on part of land owned by Christian Sherk on the lot, North and East of the corner of Wilhelm Road and Highway #3. By 1877, the United Brethren group had arranged to own a share of this church.

The United Brethren group shared the church building with the Wesleyan Methodists from 1870 through 1881 when the Methodists decided to move to a new church. The United Brethren group bought out the Wesleyan portion of the chapel on the Highway and everything went smoothly for several years until some major theological concerns arose within the United Brethren Denomination in 1889. These issues led to the division of the church into two groups – the Liberals (who gained the property rights to the church) and the Radicals (who were a more conservative group). Both groups continued to worship in the Sherkston chapel (at different times) until 1896. There were differences in opinion between the two groups regarding sobriety, church attendance and participation in secret societies (such as the Masons).

In 1896, the Liberals, who owned the building, decided that they had had enough of the Radicals using their church. So one burly Liberal member stood in the doorway with a wood plank across the opening and prevented the Radicals from entering the church for their meeting. The Radicals met in a temporary church building until they could build their own church on a lot at the corner of Empire Road and Sherkston Road. Their church was completed in the Spring of 1897, is still there today, and known as Grace United Brethren Church.

The United Church of Canada Denomination

The Liberals associated with the Congregational Denomination in 1906 and remained part of that group until it joined with the United Church movement in 1925 (when the Congregationalists, the Methodists and the Presbyterians formed this new denomination). The First United Church of Sherkston continued to meet in the original church (built in 1863) until it burned to the ground in 1974.

The congregation was adamant about rebuilding the church and community support was strong.

Not only was the main church rebuilt (in 1975) but a church hall was also attached. The mortgage on this new structure was paid off by 1980.

Fort Erie Times - December 18, 1974

First United Church, Sherkston, has operated the church responsibly year after year. This was possible because the church had no debt and just modest operating expenses. In past years, the church (at Sherkston) usually has shared a Minister with one or two other area churches or had a part-time Minister for many of its years of existence. This year a new approach to ministry has involved a Ministry Team of three as mentioned elsewhere. Although the average Sunday attendance has often been small, the group has always been faithful and dedicated. This welcoming church community continues to meet the spiritual needs of the faithful who attend.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

-- Isaiah 40:31

Contact Us

We're currently offline. Send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Send Message


Sherkston is a small church with a shared ministry from a Ministry Team consisting of an ordained minister, Rev George Schmidt, and two Licenced Lay Worship Leaders, Catherine Chambers and Dr. Deborah Grimes. Together they bring a nice combination of ministry and pastoral care to the congregation.

Read More

Contact Us

  • First United Church Sherkston
  • 5244 Highway 3, R.R. 1, Sherkston, Ontario L0S 1R0
  • 905-894-0392
  • ministry@firstunitedsherkston.com
  • www.firstunitedsherkston.com

Service Times

Sunday: 9:30 -10:30 am

Font Size

Need to see things a little more clearly?  Use the font re-sizer below to increase the site font.

  • A A A

© 2023 · First United Church Sherkston