THUNDER BAY — "We're not the church of the 1950s," says Rev. Joyce Fergus-Moore, the minister temporarily serving the parishioners of Harmony United Church on Shuniah Street.
Members of the former Knox and Current River United church congregations chose Harmony as the new name for their church after they decided earlier this year to merge in the face of declining attendance.
Church parking lots everywhere are not nearly as full as they were in the 1950s and 1960s, leading to numerous closures and mergers in more recent years.
Fergus-Moore's statement, however, was not an observation about falling attendance, but rather about how some churches have changed just as society has changed.
She said if anyone has memories of what going to church was like in the 1950's "it's not like that anymore. We're open to meeting people's needs where they're at. It's not as formal anymore. People can wear what they want, bring their own concerns and issues."
The church, Fergus-Moore said, places more emphasis on social justice.
"It gives people a place to have a voice and to try to make a difference in the world around us and in the community. And if that attracts people, great."
Fergus-Moore noted that church is no longer the centre of the community for many families, but she feels it remains an important place for people to feel as if they belong.
"Belonging is sometimes hard to come by in today's world. It's so individualistic," she said.
Current River United on Morse Street was closed when the merger occurred.
The choirs of the two former congregations now perform as one, creating what Fergus-Moore describes as likely one of the best church choirs in the city.
"There's a strong music program. That was one of the attractions of getting together," she said, adding that Knox brought a multi-instrumental component that includes the organ, piano, guitar, dulcimer and drums.
However, a new church name was selected for more reasons than the two choirs' ability to sing in harmony.
"It was discussed, and it felt better to start new and fresh...so it wouldn't always be looking back but rather the present and looking forward," Fergus-Moore said.
The congregations also spent a lot of time together before completing their union by sharing events and worship services in both locations.
"It was kind of interesting," she said, "because the whole congregation would go to the other church's building for the service, and vice versa, so it wasn't one church kind of taking over the other, but rather a meeting in the middle."
Richard Kamo, chair of the church board, said the two congregations "kind of courted each other" for about 18 months before deciding they were completely compatible.
"We took that time to acclimatize to each other...It was very deliberate. We learned we weren't terribly different," Kamo said.
A search is currently underway for a new full-time minister for Harmony United, which has approximately 150 members.
Kamo said no decision has been made yet to put the Current River building on the market, but he believes it's likely.
