Serving Bedford
for over 150 years
On August 13th 1868, the Halifax Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Canada, meeting in Dartmouth, authorized the initiation of steps leading to the formation of a Presbyterian Church in Bedford, Nova Scotia. Two years later, the first Presbyterian Church in Bedford was opened with its inaugural service.
On June 10th 1925, the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational churches of Canada entered a new union known as the United Church of Canada, one established by an act of the Canadian parliament. The Bedford Presbyterian Church, between the dates of December 22, 1924 and January 8, 1925, asked the members of the congregation to vote either for or against joining the new church union.
On January 8th 1925 the result of the congregational vote was shared with the congregation. Thirty-five persons voted in favour of joining the new church union and twenty-four voted against doing so. As a result of this vote, after church union was made official on June 10th 1925 the Bedford Presbyterian Church became the Bedford United Church.
A major milestone for Bedford United Church was reached on September 15th, 1963, with the inaugural service for the opening of the present church facility located at 1200 Bedford Highway. Another milestone took place in the year 2000 with the complete renovation and expansion of the present facility. More recently, in 2017 we expanded car parking and tweaked the landscaping of our outdoor spaces. In 2018, we installed heat pumps throughout the building and reduced our carbon footprint.
Since 1925, the Bedford United Church has existed as a congregation of the United Church of Canada. As such it is subject to the oversight and discipline of the courts of the United Church of Canada, namely Region 15 of the Maritime Conference and the General Council of the United Church Of Canada. All of its properties are held and managed in trust by the local congregation for the United Church of Canada. Where any aspects of the policy of its constitution conflict with the policy of the United Church of Canada as outlined in the church Manual, the policy of the Manual of the United Church of Canada shall take precedence.