A morning of worship and celebration followed by a potluck lunch and an open house afternoon of music and refreshments takes place June 8 when Knox United Church notes the 100th anniversary of the United Church of Canada.
The name acknowledges the joining of Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregationalist congregations together with a smaller denomination called Local Union Churches as of June 10, 2015.
As noteworthy as 100 years is, the Knox church itself has been in existence in Terrace for 102 years, says Christine Eide, a Knox member and keeper of the congregation's history.
Before the creation of the United Church of Canada, Methodists and Presbyterians worshipped together here and in 1913 Knox Presbyterian was formed, she said.
The congregation's first building was located on the south side of the 4500 Block of Lakelse but burned down in 1949. A replacement was built by 1950, a circumstance highlighted by the addition of a bell tower for a bell imported from Holland.
Providing the bell was the idea of Mrs. Madsy Brandis who grew up in the Netherlands.
"She did that to urge the people to rebuild the church," said Eide. "She said 'I'll find you a bell in Holland' and she did and had it shipped over here."
The bell was first run on Easter Sunday in 1950.
By the 1960s the location and the building were considered too small, starting a search for a larger location which concluded where present day Knox United is located on Lazelle Ave. in 1964.
The Lakelse building was moved to the new location by 1965 where today it functions as a multi-use hall. Several additions have since taken place in the form of the current sanctuary and education wing.
At first the bell was put in storage because there was no bell tower. That changed in the late 1980s when a group from the congregation built a tower. George Hagen contributed his welding skills and donated time from Johnny's Welding, a new support was crafted. A crane time donation from Raincoast Cranes lifted the bell in place and it rang for the first time in the new tower on Easter Sunday 1990.
Today it is rung every Sunday by someone in the church's Sunday School.
Pastor Paul Allard is the current Knox pastor and, as Eide points out, is the 37th person to hold the position.
He'll be conducting the 100th anniversary service June 8 at 10:30 a.m.
"Then we have planned a very United Church thing which is potluck lunch," he said of a tradition at Knox.
"We'll have a few guided tours and somewhere around 2 p.m. we'll have a performance from the Terrace Symphony Orchestra.
Two ukulele groups, Skeena Strummers and Kitchen Party, are next followed by the classical guitar duo of Anne Hill and Dieter Marder and then pianist Rebecca Lockerby.
"We're also going to have a 100th anniversary cake cutting and somewhere around 3 p.m. a United Church history game," Allard said.
He noted that the afternoon is meant to be one where the public can enjoy an informal open house atmosphere.
