About us

The Journey

We are all on journeys. Some of them take us to various geographic locations. Others are journeys of thought and faith. Whether physical or metaphoric, along the way we may experience breath-taking views, gentle curves and unexpected roadblocks.

Eastminster exists to help people on the journey of faith. We are a community of fellow travelers trying to discover God, meaning, and love. There are some things we hold dear. We are, for instance, a Christian Church and are thus deeply motivated by the Christian Scriptures and Jesus. We try to understand these as best we can and are open to engaging a wide variety of faith issues through them. We would be delighted if you would journey with us, and trust that you would find Eastminster a welcoming and stimulating environment.

Our Community

Eastminster cultivates worship and community in unique ways. First, through the music, prayers and teaching on Sundays (10:00 a.m.) we endeavour to worship God, nourish our spirits, and improve our understanding of God and the Christian life. Second, through various mid-week learning opportunities we seek to grow in God’s grace. Third, it is our hope that personal growth will transform into action as we reach out to help and embrace the neighbourhood around us.

Our Building

Eastminster has been happy to share its building and resources with the East-end community. On Wednesdays, for instance, we house the Open Door Café, which provides a lunch for anyone in the community. Some who take advantage of this are Seniors who just want to get out and socialise. Others are individuals who have very little and a hot meal is most welcome. On Thursday evenings the large, Alcoholics Anonymous – Quinte Group use our facility. In fact, over 40 groups use the building throughout the week. Some are involved in art, exercise, yoga, and square-dancing. Others help people with specific issues such as Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly).

From a Christian perspective, our own church ministries include a Sunday School program for children, a Spark Youth Group, Seniors’ Ministries, Men’s Groups, UCW Women’s Groups and a strong Pastoral Care outreach ministry for individuals who have health concerns or are aging.

Our History

In the early 1950s, the main growth in Belleville was to the East and many young families chose to make our part of the City home. With the growth, a number of individuals saw the need for a church and through the grace of God, Eastminster was established and held its first services in December, 1956. The first church building was erected in 1958 and was supplanted in 1989 by its current modern sanctuary and space built on the original site.

 Our Mission

As members of Eastminster, actively engaged in the ministry of Jesus Christ, we are called to be a caring family, united in joyful fellowship and responsive to the needs of our neighbours. With God’s help and guidance, we are committed to the worship of God, to provide for Christian nurture and pastoral care, to give faithful witness and leadership within our community and to help those in need, in our land and throughout the world.

Our Affiliation

Eastminster is a congregation within the United Church of Canada. The United Church brings together the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregationalist traditions within Canada. It was established in 1925 and is still the largest Protestant denomination in the country.

You can read more about our denomination at our denominational magazine. The magazine, now called Broadview, was formerly called The United Church Observer.