St. Andrew’s United Church will go on sale as soon as a realtor has been found and a proposal accepted, DiscoverMooseJaw.com has learned, as a downward trend in Canadian religiosity continues putting pressure on smaller congregations. 

“I can confirm that (St. Andrew’s) is going on sale,” said Laura Richard, chair of St. Andrew’s governing committee. She also noted that Minto United has put their building on the market, but said she could only speak for St. Andrew’s. 

“We are working with the regional council for the United Church at some different options for what the congregations are going to do, but we’re so early in that process that I don’t know how much more I can speak to.” 

While Richard was able to confirm the news that she and her congregation have begun the process of selling the building, she cautioned that she could make any statement beyond that news. 

Anyone looking for further details should contact Tim Ellis, currently the only remaining United Church minister in Moose Jaw, or submit their questions to St. Andrew’s directly at st.andrews.mj@sasktel.net.  

Richard said the task of managing the enormous building is simply too much for a congregation of only 60 people. She noted, however, that all the United Churches in the city are committed to keeping an active presence in Moose Jaw. 

The actual real estate sale could be years away — the Minto United Church building has been on the market for about a year already.  

However, any eventual deal would be carried out with respect for the incredible legacy of the structure, and with plenty of opportunities for the community to celebrate and commemorate St. Andrew’s contribution to Moose Jaw’s culture, society, and spiritual heritage. 

Under former pastor Jim Tenford, for example, St. Andrew’s became an ‘affirming congregation’ in 2017. That means they practice radical inclusivity, which the United Church believes is a founding principle of Christianity. 

Tenford was also a founding board member of the now-defunct Moose Jaw Pride organization. For the first three years of its existence, Moose Jaw Pride’s home was in St. Andrew’s.  

The building is still adorned with a rainbow flag proclaiming, ‘You Are Welcome Here!’ 

The Moose Jaw Multicultural Council is located in the building, and the congregation doesn’t just rent the space out, either. They went further, and for years they have been official consultants and sponsors for refugees fleeing conflict zones around the world. The St. Andrew’s organization obtained special status with the government to streamline refugee applications as much as possible. 

When Kayleigh and Cassidy Olson of Whitecap Dakota First Nation approached Tenford in 2021 about having a shoe display on St. Andrew’s steps, he and his congregation accepted without hesitation. 

More than 500 pairs of shoes were displayed for weeks to honour Indigenous children who never came home from Indian Residential Schools. The shoes are now permanently displayed in the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery. 

St. Andrew’s was the first church in Canada to welcome an ordained female minister — Lydia Gruchy, in 1936. 

In 2021, St. Andrew’s United Church received the Pillar of the Community Award (accepted by Tenford) at the Moose Jaw Business Excellence Awards. 

Discover Moose Jaw News will follow this story closely as it develops, including exploring the heritage and history of the building, and the stories and memories of people in our community whose lives have been affected by St. Andrew’s United Church.