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Object Record
Images
Metadata
Item ID# |
2026.001.006 |
Object Name |
Banner |
Year Range from |
1944 |
Year Range to |
2012 |
Description |
One blue-violet felt banner with crest for the United Church of Canada. Banner has a rectangular border of mustard-yellow velvet, and is trimmed with gold fringe along the bottom. Banner hangs from shimmery gold rope attached to a small dowel inside the rod pocket at the top of the banner. The front of the banner features the crest of the United Church of Canada, which has been hand-sewn with pieces of felt in different colours. The crest has a yellow border shaped like an oval with pointed top and bottom. A red X inside this border divides the crest into quadrants, each of which contains a different symbol; a white dove (top); a burning bush (right); superimposed Alpha and Omega (bottom); and an open book (left). On the yellow border, in black lettering, "The United Church of Canada" spans the top of the crest, and the Latin phrase "ut omnes unum sint" (That all may be one) spans the bottom. |
Provenance |
Part of a donation of items created, used, or collected by the St. John's United Church, (Chesley, ON) which closed in October 2025 after 150 years. About the United Church of Canada crest (abridged, from www.united-church.ca): The crest was designed by the Rev. Dr. Victor T. Mooney (a treasurer of the United Church), it was officially adopted in 1944. Its oval shape is derived from the outline of a fish, a symbol of identity by early Christians. The "X" at the centre, the first letter of the Greek word for Christ, is a traditional symbol for Christ. In the four corners of the crest are symbols, three of which are particularly associated with the three communions — Congregational, Methodist, and Presbyterian — that united to form The United Church of Canada in 1925. The open Bible represents the Congregational Churches; The dove is a distinctive mark of Methodism; The burning bush is the symbol of Presbyterianism. The symbols alpha and omega in the lower quarter are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They symbolize God and creation. In August of 2012, at the 41st General Council, The United Church of Canada acknowledged the presence and spirituality of Aboriginal peoples in the United Church by revising the church's crest. The crest changes include incorporating the colours often associated with the Aboriginal Medicine Wheel. The Medicine Wheel, which reflects respect for diversity and interdependence, is often represented in the four traditional colours of yellow, red, black, and white, which incorporate important teachings from the four directions, the four stages of life, and the four seasons. The placement of these colours will vary according to the traditions of the nation. The Medicine Wheel teaches us to seek balance in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the circle of life. The crest changes also included the addition of the Mohawk phrase "Akwe Nia'Tetewá:neren" [aw gway-- nyah day day waw-- nay renh], which means "All my relations." |
Dimensions |
H-86 W-45 cm |
Search Terms & Subjects |
Churches Churches, United |
Places |
Chesley |