The first church built on this site was a Methodist Church, a wooden church built in 1895. In 1909 the present church was completed, the foundation having been laid in 1908, replacing the older, wooden one. It was built as the Trinity Methodist Church and dedicated on March 7, 1909.
Fire almost destroyed the stone church in 1915, but it was rebuilt shortly after. In 1927 the building became the Trinity United Church after Church Union. 1967 saw another fire in the church. Again rebuilt, it then became Nelson United Church when the Fairview congregation joined it.
Here is a very good article on this church's
history. The Nelson United Church occupies Number 27 on the City of Nelson's 2011
Heritage Register.
In 2013 the church faced a controversial issue, that of same sex marriages among the clergy. In November of that year the congregation met to decide what the church's official position on the matter would be. The Nelson Star article, the beginning of which can be read below, discusses the situation in depth.
Church weighs affirmation -
Members to make decision on Sunday
By John Prochaska - posted Nov 23, 2013 at 9:00 AM
Having experienced already some of what it means to be an Affirming Church, members of Nelson United Church will gather Sunday, November 24, for worship and a decision…whether or not to declare themselves…Affirming. Nancy Jones, Board Chair, observes that the congregation has been on a path toward Affirming since 1992 without calling it by that name; first by putting a plan in place for equality and welcome, by adopting a marriage policy allowing their minister to marry same sex couples.
In fact, Nelson United Church participated in Nelson's very first Gay Pride Weekend and Parade seventeen years ago and has partnered every year since with ANKORS, a support organization for those living with and at the greatest risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS and/or HCV (and having difficulty obtaining services elsewhere) co-hosting World Aid's Day and the Aid's Walk. Now, the congregation is to the point of deciding whether or not to take it to the next level. Should the congregation decide to take upon themselves the mantle of Affirming they will be saying “We intend to be a church where all are welcome”. Jones characterizes the meeting as “perhaps a further step along the way to living The Way of Jesus, embodying the Love of God” - words from a mission statement the congregation adopted in 2012.
Read more at The Nelson Star
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