The story of St. Paul’s United Church stretches back to the early settlement of Coot’s Paradise, as Dundas was originally known. Dundas was one of the first places in the Niagara district to be visited by Major George Neal, one of the first Methodist preachers in Upper Canada.

The Methodists, who can trace their early history in Dundas to 1795, were the first denomination to have a church home of their own. The church, constructed on Ogilvie Street on what is now the site of the Dundas Public Library, was built in 1830. The membership at the time was 170. In 1832 an addition to accommodate a growing congregation and a church school was added. The Sunday school, discontinued because of a cholera epidemic of 1832, reopened in the spring of 1833 under the direction of Superintendent Benjamin Spencer. A letter, written by Mr. Spencer in February 1891, tells us he twice went to Buffalo, New York to purchase supplies and books for the Sunday School Library. Mr. Spencer continued as superintendent of the church school until 1854 when he moved to Delmar, Iowa.

In 1852 the Trustees decided to purchase land from George Rolph, at the northwest corner of Cross and Park Streets, for the building of a new church. The Methodist Church opened for worship on September 30, 1855. The good will of other denominations toward the Methodists was indicated when the Anglican Rector of Ancaster and priests from St. Augustine’s Catholic Church joined other well-known members of the Dundas community in financially supporting the building of the new church. With a growing church school, plans were developed to build a separate Sunday School building adjacent to the church. On July 28, 1897 the cornerstone for the Sunday school was laid. It was dedicated and opened in December of that year. In 1899 the church was renovated, a new entrance was built and the two buildings connected.

On July 19, 1924 an Act incorporating the United Church of Canada was passed in the Canadian Parliament. The United Church of Canada Act, bringing together the Presbyterian Church of Canada, the Methodist Church and the Congregational Church came into effect on June 10, 1925. With no Congregational Church in Dundas, a breakaway group of over 180 members from Knox (Dundas) and West Flamborough Presbyterian Churches joined members of the Methodist Church in forming St. Paul’s United Church. The Minister at the time of church union was the Rev. Dr. J.C. Speer of the old Methodist Church; Rev. J.M. MacDonald of Knox Presbyterian was the Associated Minister. A few months later Rev. MacDonald left Dundas when he accepted the call to a church in Montreal.

In 1931 the congregation at St. Paul’s dealt with a double tragedy. On July 26 the congregation was saddened by the sudden and unexpected death of Rev. Speer. On August 4 a fire completely destroyed the historic 76-year-old church. Fortunately the firemen were able to save the Sunday School. The fire was tragic, but it presented the St. Paul’s congregation with the opportunity to work together and build a new church home. Under the direction of H.W. Simpson, chairman of the building fund, plans for the rebuilding of St. Paul’s were begun. On Sunday, November 12, 1933 the new St. Paul’s, rebuilt at a cost of $106,000, was opened and officially dedicated by the Rev. Francis Vipond. It is interesting to note that the contractors and workmen working on rebuilding the church contributed $3,000 toward its construction.

The St. Paul’s family is alive and well as it continues to grow and flourish. Plans are underway for the installation of an elevator creating easy access to the buildings permitting those with physical disabilities to join us for Sunday service, concerts, and a wide range of church and community based programs.

A accessible bathroom, new church library were added in 1999.

In November 2003 St. Paul’s United Church congregation, under the ministry and leadership of the Rev. Rick Spies, celebrated the 70th anniversary of the present church, the 148th anniversary of the first church on the site, the 173rd anniversary of the original Wesleyan Church on Ogilvie Street and the 208th anniversary of a Methodist presence in Dundas.