GOVERNANCE AND LAY LEADERSHIP
Sydenham Street United Church has been a member of the United Church of Canada since 1925, when four Protestant churches—the Methodist Church, Canada, the Congregational Union of Ontario and Quebec, two-thirds of the congregations of the Presbyterian Church of Canada and the Association of Local Union Churches—joined together to form the United Church of Canada by an Act of Parliament. Our congregation founded in 1811 was one of the first Methodist congregations in Upper Canada. The current building, now known as The Spire, was completed in 1852.
SSUC is a member of the East Central Ontario Regional Council (ECORC), the coordinating and administrative organization for United Church congregations for the area extending from east of Toronto to Kingston. The ECORC is one of 16 regional councils created in 2018. Lay members and ministers, supported by a small staff complement, oversee the work of the church within each region.
More than 50 people are members of the small groups, program committees and executive that work with the minister and administrative staff to support the life and work of Sydenham Street United Church. A new slate of executive and committee members was approved by the congregation at the 2024 Annual General Meeting held on Sunday, June 24, 2024.
Executive officers and committees chairs include:
| Executive Committee | |
| Chair | Deborah Elliott |
| Past co-chair | Ian Malcolm |
| Secretary | Sheila Menard |
| Treasurer | Kirby Ruthven |
| Chair, Board of Trustees | Ruth Wilson |
| Chair, Art and Soul Committee | Ellie Deir |
| Chair, Finance Committee | Jack Soule |
| Chair, Ministry & Personnel Committee | Ian Malcolm |
| Chair, Property Committee | Walter Schmid |
| Chair, Social Justice and Outreach Committee | Barb Parker |
| Chair, Worship Committee | Vicki Ruthven |
| Coordinator, Engaging the Spirit Circle Committee | Deborah Elliot |
| Coordinator, Communications Committee | Lynn Freeman |
| Representative, East Central Ontario Regional Council, United Church of Canada | Jack Soule |
| Pastoral Charge Supervisor | Ruth Wood |
| Delegate, Friends of the Spire, Inc (ex-officio) | Steve Campbell |
| General Manager (ex-officio) | Sam MacLeod |
Updated 2025 07 05