About

A 138-year-old church choosing, every Sunday, to be ahead of its tradition.

Knox Waterloo is a congregation of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. We are reformed and still reforming.

What we believe

Faith, hope, and trust in Jesus Christ, held with open hands.

We are an inclusive, dynamic, affirming and forward-thinking congregation. We seek to grow and nurture our love for, and our faith, hope, and trust in, Jesus Christ.

Our values are simple: be reformed and still reforming. Welcome difference. Practise generosity. Communicate openly. Listen for the Holy Spirit, together.

We affirm that God's love includes everyone, and we condemn racially motivated discriminatory actions and attitudes. We support truth, healing, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, not as words on a website, but as a long obedience.

Our inclusion statement

You are not the exception. You are the design.

As an inclusive, affirming congregation, we honour the diversity of God's creation. Our community is richer when we include people of all ages, gender identities, racial and cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, abilities, economic circumstances and family configurations.

Adopted September 27, 2016

Read the unpacking

Our history

Founded in 1888. Still listening.

Knox traces its local origins to a small group in 1888 who decided Waterloo needed a Presbyterian congregation of its own. The cornerstone of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church was laid that June on George Street, with Rev. A.E. Mitchell as the first minister.

1888
St. Paul's Presbyterian, Waterloo
Cornerstone laid on George Street. The congregation was small, ambitious, and convinced that a Presbyterian witness in Waterloo mattered.
1925
Church Union, and a choice
Most Canadian Methodists, Congregationalists, and many Presbyterians united into the United Church of Canada. Knox's predecessors chose to remain Presbyterian.
1927
Knox Presbyterian Church formed
Officially organized on a new property. Rev. W.G. Richardson became the first minister. A pipe organ followed in 1939.
1957
A new sanctuary
The growing congregation built a larger sanctuary with expanded classrooms for Christian education.
1960s–70s
Among the first to ordain women
Following denominational approval, Knox was among the first congregations to ordain women as Ruling Elders, a quiet leading edge of the church.
1977
Foyer & offices addition
A renovation expanded the entrance, foyer, and office space to support the congregation's program life.
2011
The current building
A modern, fully accessible church was built on the former parking lot, the building that hosts worship, music, learning, and care today.
2016
Adopting our inclusion statement
On September 27, 2016, Knox formally adopted the inclusion statement that names, by category, the diversity our community welcomes.

Land acknowledgement

This is Indigenous land.

We acknowledge that Knox Waterloo is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Attawandaron Peoples.

We commit to learning the names, the stories, and the obligations that come with sharing this land. We support truth, healing, and reconciliation as ongoing work.

People