Our Story

The Diocese of Niagara is a "large" church that is composed of some 90 smaller units that we call "parishes” gathered on the traditional territory of several Indigenous peoples, including the Neutrals, the Mississauga, the Anishnaabe and the Haudenosaunee. Each parish consists of a team that includes clergy (priests and deacons) as well as lay people who exercise all kinds of different leadership. The "large" church or diocese is headed by our bishop – Susan Bell.

Our story goes back some 2,000 years; rooted in a devotion to following the ways of Jesus Christ. We seek deeper understanding of God’s presence in the world today and our challenge to continue the work began so very long ago.

Hospitality is also an important part of our story. We are a community of people who feel that by supporting one another in worship and prayer, we can go forth into the world and offering others good news and building the world that our Creator intended.

Perhaps not surprisingly, our Church is grounded by worship that takes many different forms in our various parishes. Some parishes offer contemporary worship and others offer traditional worship. Some offer both. It's about meeting the various needs of people who wish to belong to the Anglican Church.

Another important part of our parish life is teaching. We do share our insights with one another in the hope of catching a wonderful glimpse of the God who we love. We have lots of activities which help each of us and all of us grow in our understanding of God's relationship to the world.

Striving for justice and peace forms a core part of our faith. As Anglican we commit to serving Christ in all persons, respecting the dignity of every human being while also safeguarding the integrity of the environment. We are mindful that there are many people in our communities with intersecting experiences of oppression. As faith community we aspire to welcome people representing the full diversity of God’s creation as we come alongside those who are marginalized to create a just and inclusive world.

Finally, we have a pretty strong social component – some people call that "fellowship". The people in our parishes love one another and support one another to the best of their ability.

Back to hospitality: we'd love to meet you, whether you are new to the church or if you've been on a "leave of absence". We'd just like you to experience our community and then decide for yourself. If you'd like to find a parish that is close to you, please click here. Perhaps then "our story" can be "your story" as well.