The Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada is a 'denomination', or an extended family of churches, participating with Jesus in His Mission. A denomination is simply “known by a given name”, and we, along with many other North American branches of the Christian Community, grew from pioneer settlements of European migration.
17th, 18th, & 19th Centuries
Our story flows from the predecessors of both the Evangelical Church in Canada (ECC) and the Missionary Church of Canada (MCC), who merged in 1993 to form the EMCC. The ECC story has emphasized the life of spiritual renewal, of holy living (a Pietist commitment to live distinctively, set apart for God’s good purpose in and through us), and of having hearts “warmed” to the presence of God’s Spirit in our lives, which was characteristic of John Wesley’s early Methodist teaching.
Our MCC background brought deep Anabaptist values of community, mission, and discipleship so characteristic among Swiss Mennonite streams. When Wesleyan evangelism brought to life the Person of the Holy Spirit in the lives of our predecessors, a movement of Jesus-led counter-culture emerged.
20th & 21st Centuries
Our converged story carries with it the call to live a life marked by following Jesus on mission together. We value our heritage not by trying to recreate the past, but by following the trajectory of God’s calling which led our predecessors to bless and serve all people in the name of Jesus, as well as preach and live out the difference Jesus makes in our lives across Canada and around the world. In all we do, we seek to uphold unity, by serving Jesus together with like-minded partners wherever we go.
We encourage you to discover any of our 150+ congregations. Explore more about our historically significant Camps and Colleges, which continue to help people on their journey with Jesus and to develop Christian leaders for the future. Engage with our cross-cultural and global efforts to bless others and invite them to follow Jesus, and join us in our investment in the next generation of Jesus-followers and leaders.
This is our story. It's the journey we’re still on as we stay centred on living like Jesus, for Jesus, and in the power of the Spirit of Jesus.
Our movement has been characterized by a willingness to embrace renewed commitment to following Jesus together on mission to the world.
