Evangelical Missionary Church
The Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada (EMCC) is a Canadian Christian 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 Protestant 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, which, before 1987, were two districts of The Missionary Church Christian denomination.
The Evangelical Church in Canada had a tradition of evangelistic fervour, practice of spiritual disciplines and emphasis on the Holy Spirit 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 in North America in the latter half for the 19th century, contributed the Anabaptist concepts of community, brotherhood and believer's baptism which were distinguishing marks of the Missionary Church's Swiss Mennonite background. The merged denomination uses the Christian Scriptures as its sole source of doctrine and standards of living.
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 launched 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. The 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.
The EMCC also launched Pitch and Praise ,[1] an annual gathering of high school students from across Canada. Pitch has grown to become one of the largest youth retreats in Ontario.
Bibliography
- Lageer, E. Common Bonds. Calgary: Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, 2004