The famously liberal United Church of Canada may have finally found the limit to its own philosophy of inclusion with atheist Reverend Gretta Vosper. Although Rev. Vosper expressed her disbelief in the God of the Bible in a sermon as early as 2001, it was only in 2013 that she openly proclaimed herself atheist in the pulpit of the West Hill United Church.
As the church services of West Hill United have continued to change, its membership has steadily declined from 324 members in 2001 to only 147 in 2014, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Since the West Hill congregation no longer includes Christ in their worship, many now question how Vosper and her core of supporters can remain a part of the Church, despite the United Church’s focus on inclusion. FULL REPORT
