TTC streetcars
64-597: Meridian Hall may refer to: Meridian Hall (Toronto) , a performing arts centre in Canada Meridian Hall (Washington, D.C.) , a mansion and historical site in USA Meridian City Hall , Meridian, Mississippi, USA Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Meridian Hall . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
128-545: A " continuing " Presbyterian Church in Canada . The United Church of Canada is an amalgamation of the Union of Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches. With the three denominations now in agreement about uniting, the church leaders approached the government of Canada to pass legislation concerning transfer of property rights. The legislation passed, June 27, 1924, and was effective June 10, 1925. The United Church of Canada
192-470: A 30 metres (98 ft) wide mural by the famous Toronto-born artist York Wilson , cantilevered stairs , polished bronze auditorium doors, and a fan-shaped auditorium with a curving balcony . United Church of Canada The United Church of Canada ( UCC ; French: Église unie du Canada ) is a mainline Protestant denomination that is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in Canada and
256-500: A bobble-head Jesus, a marriage cake with two grooms holding hands, Jesus sitting on Santa 's chair in a mall, and a can of whipped cream with the caption "How much fun can sex be before it's a sin?". In 2012, the 41st General Council elected Gary Paterson as the first openly gay Moderator. The commissioners also voted to invite First Nations peoples to become signatories to the Basis of Union. (In 1925, several aboriginal congregations of
320-773: A movement predominantly of the Canadian Prairie provinces. The Canadian Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church joined the United Church of Canada on January 1, 1968. Membership peaked in 1964 at 1.1 million. From 1991 to 2001, the number of people claiming an affiliation with the United Church decreased by 8%, the third largest decrease among Canada's large Christian denominations. In 2011, Statistics Canada reported approximately 2 million people identifying as adherents. The 2021 Canadian census found that more than 1 million Canadians (3.3% of
384-643: A time when these were considered radical concepts in North America. Membership and givings increased dramatically as post-war parents started to bring their young families—the Baby Boomers —to church. Talks with the Anglican Church had not made significant headway during the decade, but in 1958, the two churches decided to continue the conversation. In 1962, two women's auxiliary organizations, Woman's Association and Woman's Missionary Society, joined to form
448-479: Is required before action is taken. (For example, a congregation requires regional council approval before a minister can be called or appointed to the congregation.) The policies of the church are inclusive and liberal: there are no restrictions of gender, sexual orientation or marital status for a person considering entering the ministry; interfaith marriages are recognized; communion is offered to all Christian adults and children, regardless of denomination or age. In
512-506: Is the country's largest soft-seat theatre. The facility was constructed for the City of Toronto municipal government and is currently managed by TO Live , an arms-length agency and registered charity created by the city. Located at 1 Front Street East , the venue opened as the O'Keefe Centre on October 1, 1960. From 1996 to 2007, the building was known as the Hummingbird Centre for
576-573: The Mohawk phrase "Akwe Nia'Tetewá:neren" ("All my relations") to the crest's perimeter. After much debate, Commissioners also voted to adopt the recommendations of the Report of the Working Group on Israel/Palestine Policy , which included a boycott of products from Israeli settlements and a campaign of "encouraging members of the United Church to avoid any and all products produced in the settlements." This
640-597: The National Ballet of Canada held seasonal performances at the venue from 1964 to 2006, and the venue has also seen frequent visits by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens . The venue has also welcomed a wide range of international dance companies such as Les Ballets Africains , Britain's Royal Ballet , New York City Ballet , Dance Theatre of Harlem , the Dutch National Ballet ,
704-639: The National Ballet of Cuba , Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater , Ballet Folklorico of Mexico , as well as the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballet companies from the then- Soviet Union . It was during a 1974 Bolshoi visit that a young Mikhail Baryshnikov defected from the Soviet Union by escaping the venue into a waiting getaway car, aided by later Jim Peterson PC and businessman Tim Stewart. Like The National Ballet, The Canadian Opera Company made
SECTION 10
#1732844961092768-792: The Royal Ontario Museum ), the L Tower was built on the southwest corner of the property. The Sony Centre closed on 26 June 2008 to begin the theatre renovations, which were unveiled on October 1, 2010. In June 2012, the Sony Centre hosted the Canadian premiere of the Philip Glass and Robert Wilson opera Einstein on the Beach . On 21 January 2019, the City of Toronto announced a C$ 30.75 million 15-year partnership with Meridian Credit Union , re-branding
832-627: The Virsky Ukrainian Dance Company , South Africa's Soweto Gospel Choir , The Shaolin Warriors , Ricky Cheng, David Rudder & Friends and Club Tropicana. In 2006, the performing arts venue received approval from the City of Toronto for the development of a high-rise condominium building beside the Centre. Designed by architect Daniel Libeskind (who also designed the Crystal addition to
896-494: The forced relocation of Japanese Canadians away from the West Coast was supported by most members across Canada, church leaders and missionaries in B.C. spoke out against it, and the churches on the West Coast set up an Emergency Japanese Committee to help fight for the rights of the dislocated people. In 1943, the Anglican Church invited other denominations to union talks, and the United Church responded enthusiastically; by 1946,
960-505: The 29th General Council, the commissioning of diaconal ministers as a part of ordered ministry was approved. On August 16, 1980, the 28th General Council elected the first female Moderator, the Reverend Lois Wilson . On August 17, 1980, a United Church of Canada task force released In God's Image , its report on sexual ethics which recommended the admission of homosexuals into the ministry and tolerance of premarital sex. Although
1024-424: The 42nd General Council, delegates voted in favour of several "denomination-changing" proposals, including a reorganization from a four-court structure to a three-council structure; elimination of "settlement", the practice of telling newly ordained ministers where they would first serve; reorganization of the process of finding and training ministers; and a new funding model. These changes were subsequently approved by
1088-578: The Anglican House of Bishops and National Executive Council declared that the Plan of Union was unacceptable. However, the Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Catholic, and United churches did agree to recognize the validity of Christian baptisms performed in any of these denominations. Membership continued to decline slowly throughout the decade, despite a report that lay ministry was on the increase. In 1980, at
1152-474: The Centre its home stage, from as early as 1961 to 2006. Many of Canada's greatest singers, as well as many international opera stars, have performed for Centre audiences in COC productions. In addition, although touring opera is now rare, in earlier days the performing arts venue played host to The Met and to such well-known performers as Birgit Nilsson , Plácido Domingo and Renata Scotto . In early February 1996,
1216-584: The Congregationalist "O God of Bethel"; and " When I survey the wondrous cross " by the British Nonconformist, Isaac Watts . The ecumenical tone of the new church was set at this first General Council. The former Methodist General Superintendent, Samuel Dwight Chown , was considered the leading candidate to become the first Moderator because the Methodist Church made up the largest segment of
1280-590: The General Council Executive disassociated itself from the decision but within two years it became church policy. In 1971, the ecumenical movement reached its height as a joint commission of the United and Anglican churches and the Disciples of Christ approved a Plan of Union , and The Hymn Book , a joint publication of the United and Anglican churches was published. The tide quickly turned though, and in 1975,
1344-512: The Performing Arts . From 2007 to 2019, it was known as the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts . On September 15, 2019, it was re-branded as Meridian Hall. In 2008, the City of Toronto designated the theatre a heritage building . That year, it also underwent renovations to restore features such as the marquee canopy and York Wilson 's lobby mural, The Seven Lively Arts . Restoration of
SECTION 20
#17328449610921408-607: The Sony Centre into Meridian Hall, and the Toronto Centre for the Arts into the Meridian Arts Centre. The arts venues formally adopted their new names on September 15, 2019. Designed by Peter Dickinson , the performing arts venue is an example of a mid-twentieth century modern performing arts venue. It is four stories high and is broken up into three main forms: the entrance block, auditorium and fly tower. The central form of
1472-661: The United Church Women (UCW). That same year, the United and Anglican churches jointly published Growth in Understanding , a study guide on union, and on June 1, 1965, the Principles of Union between the United Church and the Anglican Church. The spirit of ecumenism with other denominations stayed strong throughout the decade, culminating in 1968 when the Canada Conference of The Evangelical United Brethren Church joined
1536-427: The United Church are eligible to be considered for ordered ministry." Taken together, these two statements opened the door for openly gay men and women to join the ministry. Many members opposed this, and over the next four years, membership fell by 78,184. In some cases, entire congregations split, with a sizeable faction—sometimes led by the minister—leaving to form an independent church. Some of those opposed to
1600-477: The United Church. The high tide mark of membership was reached in 1965 when the church recorded 1,064,000 members. However, there were already rumblings of discontent in the church: that same year, Pierre Berton wrote The Comfortable Pew , a bestseller that was highly critical of Canadian churches, and a United Church Commission on Ministry in the 20th Century was appointed in response to growing frustration from congregations, presbyteries, and ministers about
1664-506: The bottom quadrant, the alpha and omega represents the ever-living God ( Revelation 1:8). The motto Ut omnes unum sint recalls Christ’s “ High Priestly Prayer ” in John 17:21: "That all may be one". The entire crest resembles the emblem of the Church of Scotland . In 2012, the Mohawk phrase "Akwe Nia'tetewá:neren" ("All my relations") was added to the perimeter, and the background colours of
1728-430: The building is highly symmetrical with an open floor plan. Structurally, the performing arts venue uses steel trusses and concrete to hold the majority of the building together. In addition to the structure, the performing arts venue's auditorium houses an acoustic system, which gives the audience the sense that the sound is surrounding them. When it comes to materiality, the majority of the original materials are still in
1792-439: The building today. Materials used include: Alabama limestone , glazing , granite , copper , bronze , Carrara marble , carpet , cherry plywood panels and Brazilian rosewood . The performing arts venue is very diverse in its range of materials and employs them in such a way that they are not overshadowed by the unique forms of the building. The interior also features a grand double-height foyer with coffered ceilings ,
1856-598: The centre. In September 2007, Sony bought the naming rights to the Centre for $ 10-million, and a ten-year partnership was born. When the Ballet and Opera moved to the Four Seasons Centre in 2006, it left a hole in the theatre's schedule. At this point, programming shifted to a multicultural schedule by include more content appealing to Toronto's many ethnic diasporas . Notable performances that reflect this mandate include The Last Empress (a Korean historical musical),
1920-561: The church when later the same year, Phipps stated in an interview that 'I don't believe Jesus was God' and that he did not believe that Jesus physically rose from the dead. In the new century, membership and givings both continued to drop, and in 2001 the General Council offices were reorganized as a cost-cutting measure. In 2005, the church urged the Canadian Parliament to vote in favour of same-sex marriage legislation; after
1984-467: The church, and elected the first Moderator of Asian descent, Sang Chul Lee . However, those events were largely overshadowed when the commissioners passed a statement called Membership, Ministry and Human Sexuality that stated "all persons, regardless of sexual orientation, who profess their faith in Jesus Christ are welcome to be or become members of The United Church of Canada" and that "all members of
Meridian Hall - Misplaced Pages Continue
2048-578: The early 20th century, the main Evangelical Protestant denominations in Canada were the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational churches. Many small towns and villages across Canada had all three, with the town's population divided among them. Especially on the prairies, it was difficult to find clergy to serve all these charges, and there were several instances where one minister would serve his congregation, but would also perform pastoral care for
2112-506: The face of overwhelming unemployment, some in the church, both clergy and laity, called for a radical Christian socialist alternative such as the Fellowship for a Christian Social Order. Other more conservative members felt drawn to the message of the Oxford Group that focussed on the wealthier members of society. The great majority of members between these two extremes simply sought to help
2176-501: The facility was renamed the Hummingbird Centre in recognition of a major gift from a Canadian software company, Hummingbird Communications Ltd. The $ 5-million donation allowed the Centre to undertake a number of capital improvements and repairs, including the installation of an elevator and an acoustic reinforcement system for the auditorium. In October 2006, OpenText acquired Hummingbird and declined to renew its contract with
2240-528: The first Native Canadian (First Nations) Moderator, the Reverend Stan McKay, a Cree man, was elected at the 34th General Council. Two years later, the church established a "Healing Fund". This was followed in 1998 by an apology made by the church to former students of United Church Indian Residential Schools. At the 35th General Council in 1994, commissioners voted to have General Councils every three years rather than every two years. This also increased
2304-536: The four quadrants of the crest were changed to reflect the traditional colours of a typical First Nations medicine wheel . In 1930, just as mergers of the congregations, colleges and administrative offices of the various denominations were completed and the United Church Hymnary was published, Canada was hit by the Great Depression . Although membership remained stable, attendance and givings fell. In
2368-475: The gay ordination issue chose to stay in the church, and formed the Community of Concern , a voice of conservatism within the church. In the 1990s, the United Church faced the legacy of cultural assimilation and child abuse in the residential schools that it had once helped to operate. On May 24, 1992, Tim Stevenson was the first openly gay minister ordained by the United Church of Canada. On August 17, 1992,
2432-503: The idea of uniting under one roof; a substantial minority of Presbyterians remained unconvinced of the virtues of church union. Their threat to the entire project was resolved by giving individual Presbyterian congregations the right to vote on whether to enter or remain outside the United Church. In the end, 302 (6.7%) out of 4,509 congregations of the Presbyterian Church (211 from southern Ontario) chose to reconstitute themselves as
2496-506: The idea that money from the sale of beer would be used for community development. Taylor assigned one of his key executives, Hugh Walker, to oversee building what was to be known, during its first 36 years, as the O'Keefe Centre. The O'Keefe Centre opened on October 1, 1960, with a red-carpet gala . The first production was Alexander H. Cohen 's production of the pre- Broadway premiere of Lerner and Loewe 's Camelot , starring Richard Burton , Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet . Camelot
2560-533: The joint United-Anglican The Hymn Book . Response from congregations was enthusiastic, and by 2010, over 300,000 copies had been printed. In 1996, the Committee on Archives and History compiled the "Guide to family history research in the archival repositories of the United Church of Canada". In 1997, the Reverend Bill Phipps was elected Moderator at the 36th General Council. Controversy again descended on
2624-407: The legislation had been passed, the church urged the government not to reopen the issue. In 2006, the 39th General Council approved the use of a generous bequest to start up "Emerging Spirit", a promotional campaign aimed at drawing 30- to 40-year-olds into a conversation about faith. As part of this campaign, "Emerging Spirit" used controversial magazine advertisements featuring, among other images,
Meridian Hall - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-409: The length of term of Moderators from two to three years. The original General Council office of the church built in 1925 resided on increasingly valuable land on St. Clair Avenue in downtown Toronto, Ontario . In 1995, facing increasing financial pressure from falling donations, the church sold the building and moved out to the suburb of Etobicoke . In 1996, a new hymnary, Voices United , replaced
2752-503: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meridian_Hall&oldid=922579838 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Meridian Hall (Toronto) Meridian Hall is a performing arts venue in Toronto , Ontario , and it
2816-531: The new United Church. However, in a surprise move, Dr. Chown graciously stepped aside in favour of George C. Pidgeon , the moderator of the Presbyterian Church and principal spokesperson for the uniting Presbyterians, in the hopes that this would strengthen the resolve of the Presbyterians who had chosen to join the new Church. Dr. S.D. Chown, United Church / l'Église unie was featured on an 8 cent stamp issued by Canada Post on May 30, 1975. The crest designed for
2880-660: The new church is a vesica piscis , an early Christian symbol that evoked an upended fish (the initials of the phrase "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour"; in Ancient Greek : ἰχθύς (ikhthús), ichthys , meaning "fish"). The central saltire is also the Greek letter Chi , first letter of Χ ριστός , Greek for "Christ". Within three of the four quadrants are symbols of the founding churches: Presbyterianism (the Burning Bush ), Methodism (the dove), and Congregationalism (the open Bible). In
2944-540: The offices of the General Council released a statement saying, "This [decision] doesn't alter in any way the belief of the United Church of Canada in God, a God most fully revealed to us as Christians in and through Jesus Christ. Our church's statements of faith over the years have all been grounded in this understanding." A survey of 1,353 "United Church ministry personnel" published by the Vancouver Sun found that "a majority of
3008-421: The original founding churches were automatically made part of the new United Church although the congregations had not been asked to participate in church Union negotiations, and had not been asked to sign the Basis of Union document.) In addition, the original church crest (adopted in 1944 with French added in 1980) was modified by changing the background colours of the four quadrants of the crest, as well as adding
3072-471: The other congregations that lacked a minister. On the prairies, a movement to unite all three major Protestant denominations began, resulting in the Association of Local Union Churches. Facing a de facto union in the western provinces, the three denominations began a slow process of union talks that eventually produced a Basis for Union . However, not all elements of the churches involved were happy with
3136-446: The performing arts venue. Other artists who have performed on the arts venue's stage in a range of solo shows, revues and jazz spectaculars include: Louis Armstrong , Duke Ellington , Marlene Dietrich , Diana Ross , Anne Murray , Tom Jones , Danny Kaye , Judy Garland , Sammy Davis Jr. , Bill Cosby , Jack Benny , Liza Minnelli and Liberace . The venue has also played host to several large-scale ballet and dance performances:
3200-535: The population) self-identified with the church, remaining the second-largest Christian denomination in Canada. Church statistics for the end of 2023 showed 2,451 congregations and 325,315 members in 243,689 households under pastoral care, of whom 110,878 attend services regularly. The United Church has a "council-based" structure, where each council (congregational, regional, or denominational) has specific responsibilities. In some areas, each of these councils has sole authority, while in others, approval of other councils
3264-608: The report accepted abortion under qualified circumstances, it rejected abortion on demand. With union talks with the Anglicans already at an end, talks with the Disciples of Christ also ended in 1985. In 1986, the 31st General Council elected a female Moderator, Anne M. Squire. In 1988, the 32nd General Council chose to end investment in South Africa , apologize to First Nations congregations for past denials of native spirituality by
SECTION 50
#17328449610923328-672: The respondents (almost 95%) affirmed a belief in God, with a large number (almost 80%) affirming a belief in a supernatural, theistic God". In May 2022, Kindred Works, a real estate company, was started in association with the United Church. Kindred Works operates as the asset manager for the United Property Resource Corporation, which is owned by the United Church and tasked with getting positive social utility from church property. Kindred Works aims to renovate existing United Church properties by adding rental units sufficient to house 34,000 people over 15 years. One-third of
3392-479: The role of ministry. The church lost 2,027 members in 1966, a decline of only two-tenths of a percent, but significantly it marked the first time since amalgamation that membership had fallen. The Vietnam War brought new controversies to the church when in 1968, the secretary of the national Evangelism and Social Service Committee, the Reverend Ray Hord, offered emergency aid to American Vietnam draft dodgers;
3456-672: The second largest Canadian Christian denomination after the Catholic Church in Canada . The United Church was founded in 1925 as a merger of four Protestant denominations with a total combined membership of about 600,000 members: the Methodist Church, Canada , the Congregational Union of Ontario and Quebec , two-thirds of the congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Canada , and the Association of Local Union Churches,
3520-607: The two churches had issued a statement on mutual ministry. In a similar ecumenical vein, the United Church was one of the founding bodies of the Canadian Council of Churches in 1944 and the World Council of Churches in 1946. The United Church continued to espouse causes that were not politically popular, issuing statements supporting universal health care and the People's Republic of China at its 15th General Council (1952–54) at
3584-611: The unemployed. In the United States, Methodists had been ordaining women from 1880, but it was still a contentious issue in Canada, and it was not until 1936 that the Reverend Lydia Emelie Gruchy of the Saskatchewan Conference became the first woman in the United Church to be ordained and, in 1953, she became the first Canadian woman to receive an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. The Second World War
3648-576: The wider church, and ratified at the 43rd General Council in July 2018. In 2015, a debate emerged regarding whether or not United Church minister Gretta Vosper , an avowed atheist, was suitable for ministry. The United Church instituted an ecclesiastical hearing that could have led to her dismissal as minister. However, in 2018, Vosper and Toronto Conference reached a settlement in which all outstanding matters were resolved. Vosper continues to serve at West Hill United Church. In response to this internal decision,
3712-533: The wood, brass and marble was undertaken, along with audience seating, flooring upgrades, new washrooms and reconfigured lobby spaces. Following two years of renovations and restoration work, the building reopened on October 1, 2010, fifty years to the date of the first opening night performance. The Centre was built on land formerly occupied by a series of commercial buildings, including the Canadian Consolidated Rubber Company, and previously it
3776-428: Was also a divisive issue. Some who had declared themselves pacifist before the war now struggled to reconcile their philosophy with the reality around them. Others remained pacifist—some 65 clergy signed A Witness Against War in 1939. But the church as a whole, although it did not support conscription , supported the overall war effort, both on the home front and by providing chaplains for the armed forces. Although
3840-665: Was followed by musical productions featuring such artists as Ethel Merman , Mickey Rooney , Angela Lansbury , Alfred Drake , Yul Brynner , Carol Channing , Pearl Bailey , Katharine Hepburn and Rudolf Nureyev . Popular music artists including Bob Dylan , Janet Jackson , Elton John , Steve Earle , Leonard Cohen , Elvis Costello (November 1978), David Bowie (June 1974), Lou Reed (June 2000), and bands such as The Grateful Dead , The Who , Jefferson Airplane (August 1967), Led Zeppelin (November 1969), Radiohead (June 2006), The Carpenters , The Clash (September 1979) and Beastie Boys (September 2007) played concerts at
3904-543: Was inaugurated at a large worship service at Toronto 's Mutual Street Arena on June 10, 1925. Participants were handed a 38-page order of service containing the full text of the liturgy, prayers, hymns, and music. Hymns from all three churches were sung: " All people that on earth do dwell " from the Scottish Presbyterian psalm tradition; the Methodist favourite " O for a thousand tongues to sing " by Charles Wesley ;
SECTION 60
#17328449610923968-483: Was not immediate. E.P. Taylor , the racehorse-loving head of Canadian Breweries , which owned O'Keefe Brewing, offered in early 1955 to build a performing arts centre that would not only serve the needs of local institutions but increase the diversity of entertainment options available in Toronto. Toronto City Council immediately accepted the proposal in principle, but not until 1958 was the project finally approved to be built. Among others, United Church spokesmen opposed
4032-439: Was the church's first boycott since an anti-apartheid boycott against South Africa in the 1980s. According to the report, the authors consulted with Canadian-based Palestinian organizations, as well as "Jewish rabbis, individuals and organizations" among others. Still it incited controversy, with several groups campaigning against the decision, including protests of the decision by several Canadian Jewish groups. In 2015, at
4096-439: Was the site of the Great Western Railway Terminal (later the Toronto Wholesale Fruit Market). The idea for a performing arts centre that could serve the needs of an increasingly dynamic city predates the building's opening by almost 20 years. In the mid-1940s, Nathan Phillips issued a challenge to Toronto industrialists to underwrite the cost of a multipurpose centre for theatre, music and dance. Response to Phillips' challenge
#91908