Evangelical Missionary Church
Encyclopedia
The Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada (EMCC) is a Canadian
family of churches (denomination
) with historical roots in the pioneer settlement of Ontario
and the Canadian West, earlier European migration to the eastern seaboard of the USA, and the Reformation in Europe. Its present identity comes through the 1993 merger of the Evangelical Church in Canada (formerly a conference of the Evangelical Church in North America) and the Missionary Church of Canada (before 1987, two districts of The Missionary Church, a North American family of churches).
Each partner brought to the union its characteristic emphases. The Evangelical
Church in Canada contributed their evangelistic fervour, practice of spiritual disciplines and emphasis on the Holy Spirit's sanctifying power that characterized John Wesley's early Methodist teaching, particularly as it impacted early North American German-speaking immigrants. The Missionary Church of Canada, which originated in the later revival movements that swept North America in the latter half for the 19th century, enriched the union with its missionary zeal as well as the Anabaptist concepts of community, brotherhood and believer's baptism which were distinguishing marks of the M.C.'s Swiss Mennonite background. The renewed denomination remains committed to the Christian Scriptures as the source of doctrine and standards of holy living and to the Good News of personal transformation through a faith relationship with Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
There are approximately 150 Evangelical Missionary churches, the majority of which are in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Presently Centre Street Church in Calgary is the EMCC's largest congregation.
The EMCC has birthed two colleges--Rocky Mountain College in Calgary
, Alberta
, and Emmanuel Bible College
in Kitchener
, Ontario. These institutions have trained over three thousand students to become pastors, church leaders and missionaries as well as committed Christians in the marketplace and community. Fourteen years after merger, this renewed denomination also sends and supports 153 missionaries in 27 countries (including some in Canada) under both its own program (EMCC World Partners) and other mission agencies with evangelical and holistic emphases.
EMCC leaders' current vision is that their constituency would make disciples of Jesus Christ who in turn will make other disciples who will gather into healthy communities of faith across (and even outside) Canada.
Reference
Lageer, E. Common Bonds. Calgary: Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, 2004
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
family of churches (denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
) with historical roots in the pioneer settlement of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and the Canadian West, earlier European migration to the eastern seaboard of the USA, and the Reformation in Europe. Its present identity comes through the 1993 merger of the Evangelical Church in Canada (formerly a conference of the Evangelical Church in North America) and the Missionary Church of Canada (before 1987, two districts of The Missionary Church, a North American family of churches).
Each partner brought to the union its characteristic emphases. The Evangelical
Church in Canada contributed their evangelistic fervour, practice of spiritual disciplines and emphasis on the Holy Spirit's sanctifying power that characterized John Wesley's early Methodist teaching, particularly as it impacted early North American German-speaking immigrants. The Missionary Church of Canada, which originated in the later revival movements that swept North America in the latter half for the 19th century, enriched the union with its missionary zeal as well as the Anabaptist concepts of community, brotherhood and believer's baptism which were distinguishing marks of the M.C.'s Swiss Mennonite background. The renewed denomination remains committed to the Christian Scriptures as the source of doctrine and standards of holy living and to the Good News of personal transformation through a faith relationship with Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
There are approximately 150 Evangelical Missionary churches, the majority of which are in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Presently Centre Street Church in Calgary is the EMCC's largest congregation.
The EMCC has birthed two colleges--Rocky Mountain College in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, and Emmanuel Bible College
Emmanuel Bible College
For the Methodist theology school affiliated with the University of Toronto, go to Emmanuel College, Toronto.Emmanuel Bible College is a small Bible college located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada...
in Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, Ontario. These institutions have trained over three thousand students to become pastors, church leaders and missionaries as well as committed Christians in the marketplace and community. Fourteen years after merger, this renewed denomination also sends and supports 153 missionaries in 27 countries (including some in Canada) under both its own program (EMCC World Partners) and other mission agencies with evangelical and holistic emphases.
EMCC leaders' current vision is that their constituency would make disciples of Jesus Christ who in turn will make other disciples who will gather into healthy communities of faith across (and even outside) Canada.
Reference
Lageer, E. Common Bonds. Calgary: Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, 2004