MCC Toronto

July 17, In response to a petition, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches sends Rev. Bob Wolfe from Los Angeles to establish MCC Toronto which holds its first service in an office space above a bar on Yonge Street.

A Citation of Bravery is awarded to Rev. Bob Wolfe by Toronto City Council for talking a teenager off the roof of City Hall.

Brent Hawkes becomes Senior Pastor at MCC Toronto, a position he will hold until January2018. Brent would go on to complete a Masters and Doctorate of Divinity, becoming Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes.

February 5, Police raid four bathhouses in Toronto and arrest 286 men, galvanizing Canada’s 2SLGBTQ+ community. The next day, Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes and other community activists lead over 3,000 protesters at a rally against police brutality .Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes would later go on a 25-day hunger strike demanding an inquiry

MCC Toronto buys its first church building at 2029 Gerrard Street East becoming Canada’s first 2SLGBTQ+ organization to own property.

MCC Toronto fights for a new Employment Standards Act that incorporates sexual orientation into the Ontario Human Rights Code.

The first MCC Toronto Christmas Eve Service at Roy Thomson Hall, an annual tradition that continued until 2019.

In response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, MCC Toronto launches the AIDSCARE program that provides support, comfort and love to hundreds of individuals affected.

MCC Toronto moves into its present home at 115 Simpson Ave in the city’s Riverdale neighbourhood.

The first Pride Toronto Sunday Service is held at Maple Leaf Gardens. While the venue for this Service has changed over the years, “Church on Church” remains a hallmark of Toronto Pride celebrations.

A community-wide effort including MCC Toronto joins to push for the Equality Rights Statute Amendment Act that would provide equal treatment of persons in spousal relationships. The bill is defeated, but MCC Toronto continues to fight on.

MCC Toronto partners with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in establishing the Triangle Program, Canada’s first high school for at-risk 2SLGBTQ+ students and now North America’s longest running such program.

To support James Egan and John Norris Nesbit in the constitutional question of same-sex spousal recognition under the Old Age Security Act, MCC Toronto serves as an intervener at the Supreme Court of Canada. This case results in the rights of gay and lesbian couples being recognized and their sexual orientation being read into the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes testifies in the M vs. H case on spousal support provision in family law. For the first time, the court ruling holds that same-sex couples should receive equitable treatment under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The world’s first legalized same-sex marriage takes place at MCC Toronto as Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes, wearing a bulletproof vest, weds a gay couple and a lesbian couple. Though the Registrar General of Ontario refuses to register the marriage documents, MCC Toronto takes the Provincial Government to Court, and in 2003 a court decision is rendered making the Province of Ontario North America’s first jurisdiction to recognize same-sex marriage and by back-dating the decision, making MCC Toronto’s the world’s first.

MCC Toronto leads the Pride Parade as the Honoured Group recognized by Pride Toronto for its work in human rights and social justice.

MCC Toronto establishes a new LGBTQ+ Refugee Program. Since opening, over 8,000+ LGBTQ+ asylum seekers have found comfort, support, and hope as participants in our programs.

Rev. Deana Dudley joins MCC Toronto’s staff team in October and goes on to become Assistant Pastor, and later as Acting Senior Pastor.

Margaret and Wallace McCain make a remarkable $1 million gift to MCC Toronto, the largest single donation ever received by an MCC congregation in the world up to that point. Among other things, their gift enables MCC Toronto to retire its mortgage.

Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes officiates and The Choir of MCC Toronto sings at the state funeral of Jack Layton, Canadian New Democratic Party leader and Leader of the Official Opposition at Roy Thomson Hall.

MCC Toronto becomes the only exclusive LGBTQ+ Sponsorship Agreement Holder with the Federal Government. Since that time, its LGBTQ+ Refugee Programs have brought and settled 75+ LGBTQ+ refugees to Canada.

July 8, Rev. Jeff Rock is elected as MCC Toronto’s new Senior Pastor. He begins October 1 and officially takes on the role following Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes’ last Service on January 28, 2018. Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes is named Senior Pastor Emeritus.

Aleks Dughman-Manzur, Director of MCC Toronto’s LGBTQ+ Refugee Programs, is elected Vice- President of the Canadian Council for Refugees becoming the first openly transgender individual to serve at the executive committee level.

MCC Toronto publicly launches ELEVATION – MCC Toronto Campaign, a historic $5 million campaign to elevate its ability to offer expanded and impactful human rights programming. At that time, MCC Toronto announced that $4.8 million had been raised to date including the largest ever gift in MCC’s history: a lead gift of $1.38 million from Paul Austin and the P. Austin Family Foundation.

Rev. Jeff Rock says goodbye to MCC Toronto as he embarks on a new journey. Rev. Deana Dudley becomes Acting Senior Pastor in January, In February, MCC Toronto unveils The new McCain Family Social Hall and other renovated public spaces to the delight of congregants.