Beginnings

         Life - Death - Resurrection - Ascension - Christ's work on earth was complete! The one great event yet to come was the birth of THE CHURCH. This happened when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost and empowered them to spread the Gospel to the whole known world by 100 A.D. But what happened to the Church after the death of the apostles?

        By the fourth century, the original vim and vigor of the church had waned. One reason for this was that the church in Rome grew supreme through its close contact with the emperor. It began to cater to the pagan people of Europe. Coveting new land and wealth, it began to entice these people by building huge cathedrals, clothing its bishops in magnificence, and instituting pompous ceremonies. The "world" crowded into the Church and decadence was the result.

         The light still burned on the darkness, however, through the Pietists and other groups led by men such as John Wycliffe in England (1381), and John Huss in central Europe (1414). These theologians studied the Scripture and spoke out against the evils in the Catholic Church. Persecution followed and many who called for change were martyred. Then, in 1517, under the protection of a German duke, Martin Luther publicly protested against the corrupt teachings and practices of the Church. Many rallied around him in support. The Reformation became unstoppable. 

        Other Reformers, such as John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli also gained followers; but another group, dubbed "Anabaptists", felt that the Reformers did not go far enough. They called out only for the doctrine of salvation through faith, but also for adult baptism, holy living, and belief in the sole authority of the Scripture. Persecuted by both Rome and the Reformers, Anabaptist leaders were martyred and their people scattered. Then a former Roman Catholic priest, Menno Simons of Holland, was asked to lead this scattered group, and in spite of continued persecution, these "Mennonites" survived and increased. Since they held strongly to the doctrine of non-resistance, many fled to the New World to escape involvement in Europe's wars. Later, during the American Revolution and Civil Wars, many again migrated to Canada to begin a new life there. 

Revival

        While this Reformation was going on in Europe, an Englishman named William Tyndale, translated the New Testament into everyday English. (formerly, it had been available in Latin only.) As Tyndale's Bibles were distributed throughout England, great persecution arose, yet the Light continued to grow. Change came to that land also. In 1531, King Henry severed the Church of England from Rome and the power of the Pope.

        Two hundred years later, a small group of students of the Oxford Church of ,England, met to spur one another on to live holy lives. Because of their methodical application of the Scriptures, they were dubbed "Methodists". Two of these men, John and Charles Wesley, sailed for Georgia to do missionary work even though they were still struggling to find peace for their own souls. While on board, they met some Moravian missionaries from Germany whose quiet assurance of salvation and godly lives deeply impressed them. Back in London after a failed mission, John visited a Moravian prayer meeting and one evening experienced personal assurance of his acceptance with God. Being an ordained clergyman with the Church of England, he began to preach salvation as the free gift of God.   

        After being ostracized by the Anglican Church, he and his hymn writing brother began to travel throughout England preaching and singing in open fields, in jails, at mine heads and wherever people flocked to hear them. Lives were drastically changed and a spiritual awakening broke out which later spread to North America.

The Missionary Church of Canada

        As the decades went by, the zeal and evangelical warmth of the Mennonites in America declined so that by the latter part of the 19th century, their worship was reduced to empty forms and regulations. At this time, revival fires began to blaze throughout the USA and Canada under the preaching of the Wesleys, George Whitfield, and D.L. Moody. Many people, including Mennonites, came into the experience of the new birth. This caused a rift between these "fanatics" and the mother denomination. In 1883, several groups who had been excommunicated, united under the name "Mennonite Brethren in Christ." The group later evolved into "The United Missionary Church" with conferences both in Canada and USA.

        At the same time, another such group of Mennonites became established in the mid-western US under the name "The Missionary Church Association."  

        For over a century, the American and Canadian churches operated as one denomination. In 1988, the Canadian church became organizationally separated under the name, The Missionary Church of Canada.

The Evangelical Church in Canada

        The Evangelical Church in Canada is a product of the union of two spiritual streams consisting of German believers of the Wesleyan persuasion. In 1752, the Reformed Church in Germany sent Philip Otterbein with five other pastors to Pennsylvania to help bring new life to a spiritually dark country. Like Wesley, Otterbein discovered the assurance of personal salvation, in his case, out of his own preaching! Martin Boehm, also experienced the new birth through his study of the Scripture. The two men joined forces and held "experience meetings" reaching many people. Their preaching gained impetus through the revival spreading across America. Many came to know the Lord. The fledgling church organized itself under the name The United Brethren in Christ in the year 1800 and soon spread throughout the United States and overseas.

        Meanwhile another stream was springing into life. Also in Pennsylvania, a Methodist farmer name Jacob Albright attended one of the Brethren meetings and was soundly converted. By the year 1800, Jacob Albright had organized several classes within the Methodist Church. However, because his work was among the German speaking people and the new converts wished to continue to worship in their own language, they formed a separate organization called the Evangelical Association in 1816. The new church grew rapidly, spreading to Ontario, Canada, and other parts of the world. By the year 1922, the church had grown to a membership of a quarter million under the new name, the Evangelical Church. In 1946, the United Brethren in Christ and the Evangelical Church merged to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church, a denomination of three quarter million members.  

        Influenced by Wesleyan teaching, the EUB's were known for their passion for evangelism and personal holiness, missionary zeal and deep interest in education.

        As time went by, American Methodists began to lose their evangelical fervor, and when merger was formalized between themselves and the Evangelical United Brethren denomination (forming the United Methodist Church), the EUB churches of Western Canada and many in Northwest US stayed out of the merger (1968). In 1970 the newly autonomous Canadian churches reorganized under the name, The Evangelical Church In Canada. Finally, in 1982, the Evangelical Church In Canada and its counterpart in the Northwest States (Evangelical Church of North American), reunited to form The Evangelical Church.

A New Beginning

        For many years, leaders within the Missionary Church and The Evangelical Church in Canada worked toward a vision of working together in Canada. In August of 1993, in the city of Calgary, Alberta, The Evangelical Church in Canada and the Missionary Church in Canada celebrated the merger of a new but historically rich denomination, the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada. The new denomination continues to maintain fraternal relations with its American counterparts.

Our Missionary Thrust

        Missionary zeal has characterized both denominations from their beginnings. The Evangelical Church assumed ownership of works in Bolivia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, and with the native Indians and Mexican people groups in the US. In addition, it sent out missionaries under World Gospel Mission, Wycliffe Bible Translators, OMS International, and other evangelical agencies. At the time of merger, The Evangelical Church in Canada was represented in 16 countries with over 60 missionaries.

        The Missionary Church also administered its own overseas work as well as supported its missionaries under other agencies. National Missionary Church churches were established in Nigeria, Jamaica, India, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Brazil and Mexico. Since 1979, ministries were also begun in France, Spain, Portugal, Middle East, Thailand, Indonesia, Cyprus, South Africa and Russia. Besides this, about 100 missionaries were sent out under other approved agencies to serve in over 40 countries.
 

World Partners

        In 1988, when the Missionary Church in Canada became a separate entity from its US counterpart, the name World Partners was chosen, identifying the joint mission board under which both denominations would continue to send their missionaries. What would happen now that the two Canadian denominations were merging? The Evangelical Church in Canada agreed to recognize World partners as the official missions board of the new Canadian denominations. Former Evangelical Church missionaries serving under other agencies were given "Missionary on Loan" status.

        The quarterly, World partners, published by World Partners, continues as the denomination's official mission magazine. World Partner's headquarters is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

        As of the year 1995, nearly 250 World Partner missionaries serve in over 55 countries outside North America. Efforts to enter more countries with workers from the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada continue.
 

Higher Education

        The Evangelical Missionary Church presently trains leaders through two accredited colleges. In central Canada, Emmanuel Bible College is located in Kitchener, Ontario. Emmanuel Bible College began in 1940 to train ministers and missionaries. It has grown to a community of over 300 students today. Graduates serve in scores of ministries around the world.

         In the west, Rocky Mountain College is located in Calgary, Alberta. Rocky Mountain College is the product of the merging of two smaller schools: Hillcrest Christian College (formerly the Evangelical Church school) of Medicine Hat, Alberta, and Mountain View Bible College (formerly the Missionary Church school) of Didsbury, Alberta. RMC began its ministry in 1992 and has seen its student body grow to more than 250 students in its first three years.
 

Camping Ministries

          Camping ministries have been a vital part of the evangelistic edge of our denomination for many, many years. In the east, two camps have served our churches, including camp Stayner which has been in operation since 1920. In the west, our denomination operates five camps, located as far west as Chairs Camp near Chilliwack in beautiful British Columbia. 

Canada East - 

Camp Mishewah - Pembroke, Ontario
Stayner Bible Conference Grounds - Stayner, Ontario

Canada West - 

Charis Camp - Chilliwack, British Columbia
Echo Lake - Fort QuAappelle, Saskatchewan
Okanagan Family Camp - Gardom Lake, British Columbia 
Riversedge Camping Ministries - Elkton Valley, Alberta
James River Bible Camp - Sundre, Alberta
Whispering Pines - Elkwater, Alberta 

The information contained here is from Exploring Our Faith,
a booklet prepared by the Board of Education of the
Evangelical Missionary Church, Canada West District.

Lucas VanBoeschoten
Frank Harris
Lance Duncalf
Don Adolf
Norm Reimer