St. Ann's Bay

What does a pastoral charge do when there are three churches to look after and only a few families supporting each one? Over the years the United Church congregations at North River, Englishtown, and the North Shore had tried different solutions. For a number of years there was a co-operative arrangement with the churches of another denomination in the area. When that came to an end the three congregations took a great leap of faith and decided to come together. Two of them agreed to let their churches be sold, and the third to allow theirs to be moved to a new site as the sanctuary for the new church. It is located just north of the Barrachois River, only a few kilometres from the Englishtown Ferry.

St. Ann's Bay United Church, which holds about 110 people opened for services in December 1999. A large choir loft will comfortably allow for combined choirs and drama. During the reconstruction of the sanctuary and the construction of the Foyer and Church Hall much consideration was given to making this a home for everyone which resulted in some of the assets (including stained glass windows and furniture) from Oliver, John Fraser and Bethel churches being integrated into the new building.

A large, welcoming foyer is located between the Sanctuary and the Hall...The Church hall will seat about 80 people and is served by a modern kitchen...There is a wheel chair ramp and ample parking.

During the summer the congregation has operated a seasonal Tea Room which is a source of revenue for the church. As well, they hold family orientated entertainment events focused on the local culture, and plan to extend the church property and develop trails and picnic areas for both local and tourist use.

The area is deeply rooted in the Celtic culture, and the Gaelic College is situated within the bounds of the charge.