Our Vision Statement
To be a loving, accepting and vital Christian community, where old and young are nurtured in the faith through worship, Christian education, fellowship and service, enabling us to be sensitive to the needs of our community and the wider world; to understand God’s call to us and to respond with love, generosity and grace.
May 1998
GMUC Governance
At Glen Morris United Church, we use the Session/Stewards/Official Board model for governance. The role of the Official Board is to manage the affairs of the church, which are of joint interest to the Board of Trustees, Session and Stewards. The Session (Elders) are full members of the United Church. Stewards (Managers) may be either members or adherents. These positions are limited to a 3-year term with at least a one year hiatus in between terms. The Official Board consists of the Minister (or Student Candidate and a Pastoral Charge Supervisor), the Chair and Secretary of the Official Board, the church Treasurer, members of Session, Managers and representatives from the following church groups:
- Trustees
- UCW
- Faith Formation Committee
- Outreach and Social Justice Committee
- Ministry and Personnel Committee
- Lay Representative to Regional Council
- The Coordinator of Media Communications
To read and/or download all of our governance, policy and agreement documents, please click here.
Glen Morris Cemetary Board
Although no longer owned by the United Church of Canada, the beautiful Glen Morris Cemetary has a long history with this congregation. A yearly memorial service is held the third Sunday of June, drawing a large congregation of old and new friends for a lovely afternoon of memories and fellowship.
For information on securing plots, please contact:
John Graham, Secretary/Treasurer 519.740.7202
Tax receipted donations for the ongoing care and maintenance of the Cemetery can be made by cheque made payable to Glen Morris Cemetery Board and mailed c/o John Graham, 13 Centre St. Glen Morris, ON, N0B 1W0.
E-transfer donations can be made to: glenmorriscemetery@gmail.com. This is set up as an automatic transfer into the Cemetery bank account with no security question or answer required.
Glen Morris Cemetery Board Historical Perspective (1)
The original portion of the Glen Morris Cemetery was situated on rolling ground between the United Church and the Manse. The earliest record of burial in the cemetery is September 13, 1848 and is that of Archibald McPherson, aged three years, the son of John and Anney McPherson. There are few if any other burials recorded on the stone markers until 1854. From this date on the cemetery was used for burial of persons in the district. In 1895 the original cemetery land was expanded to include level ground at the rear of the property and in 1980 the area was expanded to include land behind the manse property. In 2006, with the change of ownership from the United Church to a Volunteer Board comprised of five trustees, the land area was expanded for a fourth and final time with the addition of land behind and to the south west of the manse property, thereby providing sufficient land to meet requirements for many years to come. Originally, the cemetery was administered by a three-member Board and lots were sold for $16.00. From the onset until 1920 the yearly maintenance costs were covered by subscriptions from the owners of lots. In 1920 the Board established a permanent care fund. The initial funds were raised through a community canvass and donations received from individual lot owners who no longer resided in the community. The interest from these investments was used to cover the annual maintenance costs. Over the years the rates charged for lots were increased to reflect the fact that the Provincial Government periodically increased the minimum (a percentage of the amount obtained from the sale of a lot) that must be transferred to the Care and Maintenance Fund to cover the costs of perpetual care. In spite of the fact that the Care and Maintenance Fund increased at a steady rate, the interest rates earned fluctuated dramatically from year to year. Consequently, from time to time the Board was uncertain if there would be sufficient funds to meet ongoing annual maintenance costs. In order to address this situation, the 1952 Board initiated a Memorial Service, which has been an Annual Event since that time. Lot owners and family members of individuals who are buried in the cemetery are invited to attend the service which is usually held on the third Sunday of June. The one-hour service includes remarks from a guest speaker, one or two numbers sung by the United Church Choir and a free-will offering. The afternoon concludes with a social hour and refreshments provided by the spouses of the Board Members. Thanks to the ongoing financial support received from those in attendance and others who forward donations, the Board has been able to meet ongoing costs and set aside funds that are available for capital expenditures (legal & survey fees, replacement of equipment etc.) when the need arises. During the period 2004 to 2006 the Board, with the support of the local congregation and the United Church of Canada, took steps to sever the property set aside for cemetery purposes from the property owned by the United Church. On June 2, 2006 the property was registered in the name of the Trustees of the Glen Morris Cemetery Board and classified by the Province of Ontario as a 'Volunteer Board' under license # 3263617. (1) Portions of this information were obtained from the document titled "History, Lives and Times of Our Church and Community - 150th Anniversary Celebrations of the Glen Morris United Church"