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Introducing Ourselves Our Evangelical Mennonite Conference, like the wider Christian Church we are indebted to and part of, finds the centre of our faith and scripture in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. We are indebted to the Radical Reformation, which, in turn, is rooted in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. We are a member of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, the Mennonite World Conference, Mennonite Central Committee, the Council of Anabaptist International Ministries, and the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. As Evangelical, we hold to scripture as our final authority in faith and practice, to a belief in Christ’s finished work on the cross for our reconciliation, and to a life of discipleship based on the life of Christ and the teaching of scripture. As Mennonite, we are committed to following Christ daily in life; to baptism upon confession of faith and in living out our faith together as a church family; to expressing social concern, partly through a commitment to non-violence; and by wider mission. As a Conference, we seek to encourage our local churches, to work together on matters of mission in Canada and throughout the world, and to work well as part of the much wider Christian Church. We function as a conference of churches, with national boards and a conference council (delegate assembly) that meets twice a year. An elected moderator chairs and General Board and the conference council meeting. In 2006 we had 7300 members, 56 churches and 174 ministers in Canada. Women serve on most national boards, as council delegates, as missionaries, and within local church activities; while they can be selected locally as ministers, the conference does not provide for the ordination of women. Our cultural make-up is increasingly diverse, though the EMC’s Low German roots remain visible. Roughly one-third of our churches have pastors or leaders who reflect other cultural backgrounds. In the 1940s and ’50s our church became increasingly aware of the need for Christian mission; now about eighty percent of our budget goes toward mission work in Canada and other countries. There has been an increasing rural to urban shift in both membership and mission attention. EMC came about as a result of a renewal movement among a small group of Low German-speaking Mennonites in southern Russia in 1812. Concern about educational control and objection to military service saw the church migrate in 1874–1875 to North America, settling mostly (158 families) in Manitoba, Canada, or near Jansen, Nebraska (36 families). The Nebraska group eventually seceded. Evangelical Mennonite Church was chosen as our name in 1952, changing to Evangelical Mennonite Conference in 1959. Our conference is now spread over five Canadian provinces and organized into nine regions. Steinbach Bible College, located in Steinbach, Manitoba, educates many of our ministers, missionaries and laity. In 2006 we had 149 workers in 25 countries. In Mexico, Nicaragua, and Paraguay, daughter churches have organized as national autonomous conferences. Our archives are located at our denominational office.
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Quick facts about EMC: 7300 members 58 member churches 174 ministers in Canada 149 mission workers in 25 countries 11 Conference office staff 11 new churches since 2000 Budget: $1.92 million in 2007 |
