About · Vision & Values

Open Space. Vibrant Place. Sacred Connections.

The three values that shape every gathering, every decision, and every welcome at Knox United Church.

Open Space

Knox is a place where the doors are literally open, Mon to Fri, 10 am to 2 pm, and figuratively open to all who need rest, beauty, prayer, or community. We do not build walls; we create thresholds. We do not sort people; we welcome them.
Vibrant Place

Knox is alive, with music, art, conversation, worship, and justice work. Our 1913 sanctuary rings with the Casavant organ and Knox Choir. Our exterior glitters with 100,000 sequins. Vibrance is not an accident here; it is an intention.
Sacred Connections

The holiest thing we do might be the coffee hour after worship. Connection between people, across difference, across backgrounds, across doubt and faith, is itself a sacred act. Knox is a place where genuine relationships form and deepen.

Our Commitments

What we stand for

Radical Inclusion

Calgary's first Affirming congregation since 2007. We welcome all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ability, economic status, or faith background. Not as a policy but as a practice and a joy.

Justice & Reconciliation

Knox is committed to Truth & Reconciliation, to anti-racism, and to equity. We align with the TRC's Calls to Action and the national work of the United Church of Canada. We acknowledge harm and work to repair it.

Arts & Creativity

We are becoming a Knox Centre for Spirituality, Justice & the Arts. Beauty, creativity, and artistic expression are not decorations on the edges of faith, they are at its centre.

Community & Sustainability

Knox serves the broader Calgary community through the Thrift Store, arts partnerships, community rentals, and social initiatives. We believe the church's work extends far beyond Sunday morning.

Our Affirming Statement

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jesus) — John 15:12

Knox United Church is a member of the Affirming Ministries Program, a network of United Church congregations and ministries that declare themselves to be fully inclusive of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

As Christians, we believe that Jesus summoned all people into loving, accepting community as children of God.
We believe that all are called by God to use their skills and talents and to share the love, laughter and challenges of those who walk the path of Christ in the world.
Knox United Church fully supports the United Church of Canada in its ongoing efforts to include those marginalized in our society and world.
We admire the efforts of those who led the way in establishing an ever more inclusive church.
We salute the progress made in recognizing the rights of women and in correcting wrongs of exclusion and inequality.

We celebrate the full participation and inclusion of people of all sexual orientations in our community and lament the hurt and injustice done to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered and two-spirited (Aboriginal) Christians by parts of the Christian Church in the past and still today.
As an inclusive church, respectful of our differences and loving in our solidarity, Knox United Church publicly affirms the following fundamental principles that have guided our actions in the past and will continue to guide them in the future:
- All are welcome in our faith community, regardless of age, colour, ethnic, religious or linguistic background, gender, gender identity, social or economic circumstances, sexual orientation and physical or mental capabilities.
- All members and adherents of Knox are welcome to serve in any appropriate position within the Church, in accordance with their desires and abilities.
- All services offered by the Church, including baptism, marriage, communion and pastoral care, are available to all members and adherents of Knox.
Recognizing that the advocacy of the rights of all people to equal treatment and respect is an inherent part of our responsibility as Christians, we commit to work for the full inclusion and affirmation of all in the life and work of Knox United Church, the United Church of Canada, and our local, national and worldwide communities.

Non-Binary Peoples Affirming Statement

On International Non-Binary Peoples Day, Member Graham Louden-Khan shared a statement with the congregation.