Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada

  • Lodges and Fraternal Societies

    North American Mennonites and Brethren in Christ1 mainly applied non-swearing of oaths2 to rejecting membership in “oath-bound secret societies.”3 In Ontario, this put them at odds with their non-Mennonite neighbours. Nearly every settlement in the province had one lodge or… Continue reading

    Lodges and Fraternal Societies
  • Non-swearing of Oaths

    On a choir tour from Emmanuel Bible College, I was billeted with a family that did not attend a Missionary Church. In the bathroom, getting ready for bed, I noticed a small black book on the window sill. I am… Continue reading

    Non-swearing of Oaths
  • Divine Healing Part 3: Official Statements

    How did the language of healing in the Mennonite Brethren in Christ/ United Missionary/ Missionary and EMCC “Articles of Faith” change over time? What does it tell us about EMCC thinking about divine healing? Many denominations do not bother to… Continue reading

    Divine Healing Part 3: Official Statements
  • Divine Healing Part 2: Debate and Testimonies

    Christian beliefs about healing for sickness have had a long and winding history.1 This blog picks up only a fraction of it. Doctrinal debate in the North American evangelical sphere The MBiC interest in healing in the 1880s was strengthened… Continue reading

    Divine Healing Part 2: Debate and Testimonies
  • Nonconformity to the World Part 4: What about today?

    I have to admit “nonconformity,” as a negative term, is subject to the same weaknesses as other negatives (eg non-resistance instead of peacemaking, anti-abortion instead of pro-life, prohibition instead of temperance) even if the cause is good and even though… Continue reading

    Nonconformity to the World Part 4: What about today?
  • Nonconformity to the World Part 3, Mennonite Brethren in Christ Experience

    When I was a young preacher in the Missionary Church of Canada, before the 1993 merger produced the EMCC, I attended a conference promoting a simple lifestyle. I signed a promise to live a simple lifestyle as much as possible.… Continue reading

    Nonconformity to the World Part 3, Mennonite Brethren in Christ Experience
  • EMCC Bishops?

    The position and powers of ecclesiastical officials called (in English) “bishops” has gone through a lot of variation in history. The word in English is descended from the Greek word “episkopos” which meant foreman, overseer, one who watches over, or… Continue reading

    EMCC Bishops?
  • Does God Care About the EMCC?

    In modern jargon, I am “passionate” about the history of the Missionary Church. That matters nothing, however, if God does not care about this denominational group. The history of the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada fascinates me, but why should… Continue reading

    Does God Care About the EMCC?