Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) is a national evangelical Christian alliance headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. Rather than functioning as a denomination or a consumer-facing commercial brand, it serves as a coordinating, representative, and public-policy organization for evangelical constituencies across Canada. The alliance is a member of the World Evangelical Alliance and works with affiliated denominations, churches, Christian organizations, seminaries, and universities. The EFC was established in 1964 in the Greater Toronto Area under the founding chairmanship of J. Harry Faught, a Pentecostal leader. Its purpose has been to create a common national forum for evangelical Christians whose churches and organizations may differ on governance, worship, or denominational identity but share a broad evangelical theological orientation. The organization’s work combines public representation, research, communications, relationship-building, and support for the Canadian evangelical community. The EFC states that its affiliates include 43 evangelical Christian denominations, 66 Christian organizations, 38 seminaries and universities, and approximately 600 congregations. On that basis, it says that it represents nearly two million Christians in Canada. These figures describe the constituencies connected to the fellowship rather than a membership model comparable to a single church denomination. Public policy and religious freedom have been central to the EFC’s public role. It has engaged with Canadian government bills and political debates involving religious freedom, the legal definition of marriage, prostitution, medical assistance in dying, and abortion. Its advocacy has generally been framed around representing evangelical perspectives in parliamentary and public-policy discussions, rather than exercising direct governmental authority. The fellowship also operates as a communications platform. Faith Today, a major Canadian evangelical magazine, was launched in 1983 under the leadership of Brian Stiller and remains one of the organization’s best-known publishing initiatives. The EFC has also been associated with Love Is Moving, a young-adult publication that operated in print from 2016 through 2023 and returned in 2024 as an online venture under its current name. These publications extend the EFC’s role beyond institutional advocacy into journalism, community conversation, and evangelical cultural engagement. Leadership has included founding chair J. Harry Faught, Brian Stiller, Gary Walsh, Bruce J. Clemenger, and David Guretzki. Stiller became the EFC’s first full-time staff member and executive director in 1983, serving in that role until 1997. Walsh became president in 1997, Clemenger assumed the presidency in June 2003, and Guretzki became president and chief executive officer in February 2023. The organization remains active as a national evangelical representative body, with its present work spanning public engagement, communications, religious liberty, and cooperation among Canadian Christian institutions.

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada was founded in 1964 in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario. Its founding president, J. Harry Faught, was a Pentecostal leader, and the new fellowship was intended to provide a national point of connection for evangelical Christians and institutions operating across denominational lines. The organization developed as an alliance rather than as a church denomination, allowing affiliated bodies to retain their own identities while participating in collective representation. A significant institutional development occurred in 1983, when Brian Stiller became the EFC’s first full-time staff member and executive director. During Stiller’s tenure, the organization also launched Faith Today, which became a prominent evangelical magazine in Canada. The publication gave the fellowship a continuing communications presence and provided a forum for reporting, commentary, theology, and discussion of issues affecting Canadian evangelical communities. Stiller served as executive director until 1997, when Gary Walsh became president. In June 2003, Bruce J. Clemenger assumed the presidency. Under its successive leaders, the EFC expanded its public role through engagement with Parliament, government departments, courts, churches, and civil-society discussions. Its policy work has addressed questions including religious freedom, marriage law, prostitution, medical assistance in dying, and abortion. The fellowship’s involvement in these subjects reflects its role as a national advocate for evangelical perspectives in Canadian public life. The EFC is affiliated with the World Evangelical Alliance and brings together a broad institutional network. The organization reports that, as of 2025, its affiliates comprise 43 evangelical Christian denominations, 66 Christian organizations, 38 seminaries and universities, and about 600 congregations. It claims to represent nearly two million Christians in Canada. These figures indicate the breadth of its coalition and should not be interpreted as a count of individual members enrolled directly in the fellowship. The organization’s communications activity later broadened to include youth and young-adult audiences. Love Is Moving, originally established under the name Love in Action by Joel Gordon and Benjamin Porter, operated as a print young-adult magazine from 2016 through 2023. In 2024 it returned as an online project under the Love Is Moving name, continuing the EFC-linked effort to engage younger evangelicals through contemporary media. In February 2023, David Guretzki became president and CEO. The EFC continues to combine coalition-building, public-policy advocacy, religious-freedom work, publishing, and national representation. Its present identity is therefore institutional rather than commercial: it is a Canadian evangelical umbrella organization whose influence depends on the network of churches, denominations, educational institutions, and Christian organizations connected to it.

• 2025

  Reported affiliate network

  [1]Evangelical Fellowship of Canadaen.wikipedia.org

  The EFC reported affiliations with 43 denominations, 66 Christian organizations, 38 seminaries and universities, and approximately 600 congregations.

• 2024

  Love Is Moving moved online

  [1]Evangelical Fellowship of Canadaen.wikipedia.org

  After its print run ended in 2023, the young-adult publication returned as an online venture.

• 2023

  David Guretzki became president and CEO

  [1]Evangelical Fellowship of Canadaen.wikipedia.org

  David Guretzki assumed the EFC’s top executive role in February.

• 2016

  Love Is Moving print publication began

  [1]Evangelical Fellowship of Canadaen.wikipedia.org

  The young-adult magazine associated with the EFC began its print run under the Love Is Moving identity.

• 2003

  Bruce J. Clemenger became president

  [1]Evangelical Fellowship of Canadaen.wikipedia.org

  Bruce J. Clemenger assumed the presidency in June 2003.

• 1997

  Gary Walsh became president

  [1]Evangelical Fellowship of Canadaen.wikipedia.org

  Gary Walsh succeeded Brian Stiller in the organization’s senior leadership.

• 1983

  First full-time staff leadership and Faith Today launch

  [1]Evangelical Fellowship of Canadaen.wikipedia.org

  Brian Stiller became the organization’s first full-time staff member and executive director. Faith Today was founded under his leadership.

• 1964

  Evangelical Fellowship of Canada founded

  [1]Evangelical Fellowship of Canadaen.wikipedia.org

  The national evangelical alliance was established in the Greater Toronto Area, with J. Harry Faught serving as founding president and board chair.

A national umbrella and advocacy organization for Canadian evangelical Christianity, positioned between a denominational federation, a public-policy representative, and a communications platform.

• Magazine and evangelical communications · 1983

  Faith Today

  Faith Today is a major Canadian evangelical magazine published by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Founded in 1983 under Brian Stiller’s leadership, it provides a communications platform for evangelical reporting, commentary, theological discussion, and engagement with issues affecting churches and Christian organizations in Canada.

• Young-adult digital publication · 2016

  Love Is Moving

  Love Is Moving is a young-adult publication associated with the EFC. It operated in print from 2016 to 2023 and returned in 2024 as an online venture. The project is intended to connect with younger evangelical audiences through accessible Christian content and contemporary community-oriented communication.

• Advocacy and educational resources

  Public-policy and religious-freedom resources

  The EFC develops and communicates positions and resources concerning public policy, religious freedom, and social issues relevant to Canadian evangelical churches and organizations. Its work includes participation in discussions involving marriage, prostitution, medical assistance in dying, abortion, and related legal or ethical questions.

• Religious-freedom advocacy

  Canada

  The EFC has represented evangelical perspectives in Canadian public-policy discussions concerning religious freedom and the ability of religious communities to operate and express their convictions in public life.

  Source
• Social-policy and parliamentary engagement

  Canada

  The fellowship has engaged with government bills and national debates involving marriage, prostitution, medical assistance in dying, and abortion, functioning as a representative voice for evangelical churches and organizations.

  Source

• 2024

  Move of Love Is Moving to an online formatStrategy

  Background

  The young-adult magazine’s print run ended in 2023, creating an opportunity to continue the publication in a digital format.

  Action taken

  The project returned to its roots as an online venture under the Love Is Moving name.

  Source

• 1983

  Launch of Faith TodayProduct launch

  Background

  The EFC sought to strengthen communication and shared discussion across Canada’s evangelical community.

  Action taken

  It launched Faith Today under the leadership of executive director Brian Stiller.

  Aftermath

  Faith Today became one of the EFC’s best-known publishing initiatives and a significant Canadian evangelical magazine.

  Source

1. 1Evangelical Fellowship of Canadaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Evangelical Fellowship of Canada official websiteevangelicalfellowship.ca