Evangelical Free Church of Canada

The Evangelical Free Church of Canada (EFCC) is an association of autonomous and interdependent evangelical Christian congregations in Canada. Its home office is located in Langley, British Columbia, on the campus of Trinity Western University. EFCC is an affiliate of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches.

Evangelical Free Church of Canada
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationEvangelical
PolityCongregationalist
RegionCanada
Origin1917
Enchant, Alberta
Congregations150+

History

The EFCC was founded in 1917 at Enchant, Alberta.[1] It merged with the Fellowship of Gospel Churches in 1957 and was incorporated under federal charter in 1967. It became autonomous from the Evangelical Free Church of America in 1984.

In 1962, the Evangelical Free Church of Canada and the Evangelical Free Church of America founded Trinity Western University as a college.[2][3][4]

Trinity Western Seminary became a graduate division of the University, and the EFCC is uniquely partnered with several other denominational seminaries under the name Associated Canadian Theological Schools (ACTS). The Fosmark family, particularly brothers Carl and Lee, gave noteworthy leadership to the development of the EFCC. In 1993, in recognition of their vision and contribution, the building that now houses the Free Church seminary, Trinity Western Seminary, as well as the Home Office for National and International Ministries of the EFCC, was named the Fosmark Centre.

The EFCC operates an international mission arm known as Evangelical Free Church of Canada Mission (EFCCM). The EFCCM provides care and administrative help to about 100 missionaries in more than 16 countries.

In 1990, there were 10,000 members in Canada.[5] In 2019, there were 20,000.

In 2017, there are about 150 Evangelical Free Churches throughout Canada.

Doctrine

To update archaic language, to clarify theological ambiguity and to address new issues, the EFCC passed a substantial revision to its Statement of Faith on July 26, 2008, the first revision since the Statement was first adopted in 1950.[6]

Distinctives

In May 2008 The Board of Directors of the EFCC approved a document that reflects that which characterizes the Evangelical Free Church of Canada community of churches and chose to move from "Distinctives" to "Our Character and Calling".[7]

References
  1. George A. Rawlyk, Mark A. Noll, Amazing Grace: Evangelicalism in Australia, Britain, Canada, and the United States, McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, Canada, 1994, p. 326
  2. Gail Kudelik; Jennifer Werden. "Trinity Western University". In James Harley Marsh (ed.). The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 11, 2019.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. Randall Herbert Balmer, Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition, Baylor University Press, 2004, p. 697
  4. John Gordon Stackhouse, Canadian Evangelicalism in the Twentieth Century: An Introduction to Its Character, Regent College Publishing, Canada, 1998, p. 158
  5. George A. Rawlyk, Aspects of the Canadian Evangelical Experience, McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP, Canada, 1997, p. 370
  6. "Statement of Faith". September 2, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  7. "Our Character and Calling", EFCC document
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