1011 4 Avenue S, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 0P7, Canada
What We Believe
What We Believe
Southminster is a progressive Christian Church. We believe in God, the creator of the entire universe, who is the source of all life. As Christians, we are followers of Jesus of Nazareth, a wandering Jewish preacher who lived in Israel 2000 years ago, and proclaim Jesus as being the Christ and messiah, meaning saviour. We believe Jesus to be the incarnate form of God, and that God continues to be active in our world today through the Holy Spirit.
Our faith is grounded in the Bible, our holy scriptures, though we read and interpret it in ways that are consistent with our understanding of life in the 21st century. For example, we embrace the scientific understanding of the origin of our universe and life within it and read the creation stories in our Bible metaphorically.
Our stories of faith were written by ancient people to explain their experience of God, and though we find timeless truths and holy mystery in its pages, there are passages in the Bible that may be read to condone slavery or condemn homosexuality. We do not accept those interpretations.
As we join in community in grateful response to God’s abundant love, we bear in mind our connection to the earth and one another; we participate in Jesus’ work of social justice and service to our neighbours.
Southminster is a congregation of The United Church of Canada, the second largest Christian denomination in Canada. The United Church was created by a union of several Protestant denominations in 1925, who came together in order to specifically serve the unique context of Canada.
Born with a passion for Christian unity, inclusion, and a desire to serve the whole nation, our Church has embraced people of all backgrounds and orientations throughout its history. It was the first denomination in North America to ordain women to the ministry in 1936, as well as the first to ordain Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ persons to ministry in 1988. Please know that whoever you are, and wherever you are in your faith journey, there is a place for you here.
Here you can find an overview of the United Church’s beliefs.
