Were your parents members or adherents?

[paradox3]

If you are associated with the United Church, were your parents members or adherents of the denomination?

My mom might have been a loose adherent.

My parents both grew up as Anglicans.

 

[BetteTheRed]

My father never darkened the door of a church. However, he was baptized C of E and probably remained a member. My mother was christened Catholic, and I'm sure remained "on the books". My Mom might have been described as an adherent of UCC, as it was the only church she attended.

 

[JayneWonders]

Parents were Anglican, but never went

Started attending uccan church when my spouse and i were involved. They were adherents

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

I don’t know for sure. I can’t remember all the details. I’d have to ask again. My parents were christened Anglican and Presbyterian (one which became United I think). My dad was an Anglican altar boy. At some point grandparents and several elder relatives on both sides started going to United Church. My parents (now long divorced and remarried) were married in a United Church but they’d stopped going to church around university. I wasn’t christened or raised in church but I got peripheral exposure from relatives and friends - started going to UCCan in 30s, was married there then baptized at a different church a little later in life after marriage fell apart. My grandma was baptized Lutheran but went to Anglican Church with my grandpa (and raised my dad’s younger siblings there). They all stopped going in the 70s. Then one of my aunts became a pretty conservative evangelical.

Nevertheless, I wonder what’s more faithful - a committed adherent or a lapsed member? Or, as my grandma taught me - God loves everybody. Just try your best, be a good person and treat people well - which is what I have come to believe (or come back around to believe) is the essence of what it all boils down to anyway, and is what the world needs most because church isolates people - or tends to - from too many other human realities.

 

[KayTheCurler]

Interesting thread. To the best of my knowledge neither of my parents were raised with a formal church connection. My dad had a lot of respect for the Quakers who helped him get a bit more education and fed him (he worked in a cotton mill at age 12). My mum went to Sunday School for a while at a Congregational church. She signed the Pledge to not drink alcohol as a child there and kept her word until we kids were grown!

They married in the C of E parish church but never attended a service. As youngsters my siblings and I went to the local C of E - me for longer than my brother and sister. Some of my worldview comes from those experiences as a kid (the good, the bad and the plain ugly).

My guy had no religious contact when growing up. We didn't marry in a church, we didn't take or send our kids to church of any denomination. I have a bit of regret about that when I listen to them declaring that the purpose of life is to be happy.

 

[paradox3]

An interesting thing in my family history is that my maternal grandfather was Jewish. He married an Irish Protestant woman and became alienated from his family of origin.

I am not sure if he was already on the outs with them before the wedding.

 

[Mendalla]

Oh, definitely members. Mine were proverbial "pillars of the church" with Dad constantly involved with the Board and men's club and Mom being active in the UCW including governance (I think she was treasurer). Not to mention other church groups. And then my late uncle (Mom's little brother) joined the church after he got married and promptly became Board treasurer.