In its early history, the city was an overwhelmingly Protestant community, and was a centre of Methodism.
When the two denominations merged, Toronto was at the forefront of the formation of what became the United Church.
The later years of the 20th century saw a decline in the United Church in central Toronto, as followers of many new faiths moved in, forcing many of the downtown congregations to consolidate.
At the same time the rise of the suburbs led to a new era of church building in the 1950s and 1960s.
This conference covers much of south central Ontario, including all of the city of Toronto as well as the surrounding counties.