Evangelical Missionary Church

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 Christian denomination).

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