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The Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto is a congregation of the worldwide Metropolitan Community Church movement located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is a welcoming congregation openly affirming lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual and transgender people. MCC Toronto was instrumental in changing the law on same sex marriage in Ontario. MCC Toronto is now the largest Metropolitan Community Church congregation in terms of membership. ==History== In 1973, a group of individuals wrote to the head office of the Metropolitan Community Church in Los Angeles requesting that they send someone to Toronto to start a new church. In July 1973, Rev. Bob Wolfe arrived in the city and the first worship service was held with 12 people on July 17, 1973. Rev. Wolfe, who died in July 2005, worked hard to plant the new congregation and talked a suicidal young gay man down from a city centre roof and used the ceremony where he was honoured by the city to lambaste politicians for failing to reform anti-gay laws. In the early years, worship services were held at the Church of the Holy Trinity. In 1977, Rev. Brent Hawkes succeeded Rev. Wolfe as pastor. In 1985, the church bought its first church building, at 2029 Gerrard Street East. This was the first property owned in Canada by a lesbian and gay organization.〔"Hawkes takes pride in his place at parade: Religious leader at forefront of LGBTQ rights in Toronto honoured as grand marshal". ''Toronto Star'', June 22, 2014.〕 Responding to the AIDS crisis, MCC Toronto hired a full-time person to co-ordinate its AIDSCARE program in 1990. Since then its volunteers have provided home hospice care for hundreds of individuals. MCC Toronto have facilitated support groups for HIV, AIDS and other heath issues. In 1997, the Church expanded the AIDSCARE program to CommunityCARE and now provides support for clients with a range of illnesses and requirements. In 1991, the church moved to its present location at 115 Simpson Avenue, a building that previously was occupied by Simpson Avenue United Church. In 2011, the church received a $1 million donation from philanthropists Margaret and Wallace McCain, the largest single donation ever received by an MCC congregation in the world.〔("MCC Toronto gets $1 million donation" ). ''Xtra!'', January 9, 2011.〕 While the church has not held any state funerals, Rev. Hawkes was the officiant at the state funeral of Jack Layton at Roy Thomson Hall on August 27, 2011. On Christmas Eve and during Pride Week, the church holds services at Roy Thomson Hall and on Church Street because of the number of congregants. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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