Evangelical Missionary Church
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Canadian Christian denomination formed in 1993 through the merger of the Evangelical Church in Canada and the Missionary Church of Canada.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, commonly known as the EMCC, is a Canadian Christian denomination with congregations concentrated primarily in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Its present organizational identity dates from 1993, when the Evangelical Church in Canada merged with the Missionary Church of Canada. Before the merger, the two bodies had been associated with the wider Missionary Church Christian tradition and had previously functioned as separate Canadian districts before 1987. The denomination's historical background combines several streams of Protestant and evangelical Christianity. One stream came through European Protestantism and the Reformation, later reaching North America through German-speaking immigrants and settlements in the eastern United States, Ontario, and the Canadian West. The Evangelical Church in Canada's inheritance emphasized evangelistic activity, biblical fundamentalism, spiritual disciplines, and the work of the Holy Spirit. That tradition was also influenced by early Methodist teaching associated with John Wesley, particularly its emphasis on personal conversion and active Christian devotion. The Missionary Church tradition contributed a different but complementary set of influences. It developed in the revival movements of nineteenth-century North America and retained elements associated with Swiss Mennonite and Anabaptist Christianity. These included a strong sense of Christian community and mutual responsibility, brotherhood, and believer's baptism. The EMCC therefore represents a synthesis of evangelical revivalism, holiness-oriented spirituality, Anabaptist community practices, and a missionary outlook. The denomination is organized around a network of approximately 150 churches rather than a commercial product portfolio. Its congregations provide worship, preaching, discipleship, pastoral care, youth ministry, community activities, and opportunities for local and international mission. Centre Street Church in Calgary is identified as the largest EMCC congregation and is also described as one of Canada's largest churches. Education and leadership development are important parts of the EMCC's institutional work. The denomination launched or helped establish Rocky Mountain College in Calgary, Alberta, and Emmanuel Bible College in Kitchener, Ontario. Together, these institutions have trained more than 3,000 students for pastoral ministry, church leadership, missionary service, and related forms of Christian vocation. The EMCC also operates or maintains affiliations with six camps across Canada, supporting retreats, youth programs, and outdoor Christian education. Through EMCC World Partners and relationships with other mission agencies, the denomination supports approximately 85 missionaries working in 24 countries, including mission activity within Canada. Its mission approach combines evangelical proclamation with practical and community-oriented service. This international work extends the denomination's identity beyond its Canadian congregational base while remaining connected to local churches. Youth outreach has been one of the EMCC's most visible public-facing activities. Pitch and Praise, also styled Pitch'n'Praise, was a large non-denominational Christian youth gathering created in 1974 by Dr. Denis Bell and operated by the EMCC. Held over the May long weekend, the event combined camping, worship, preaching, music, sports, workshops, games, and a battle of the bands. Attendance exceeded 2,000 young people at its peak. JR Pitch, launched in 1994 for students in grades six through eight, became a related September event and reportedly attracted more than 1,000 participants. Pitch and Praise moved from Stayner Camp to Braeside Pentecostal Camp in Paris, Ontario, after growth, facility limitations, and noise complaints made the original venue difficult to use. The event featured Christian musicians and speakers from a range of evangelical and contemporary Christian settings. Its later years also generated debate over speaker selection and the boundaries of denominational youth programming, particularly around LGBTQ+ issues and the inclusion of speakers with unconventional theological or religious positions. EMCC leadership discontinued Pitch and Praise and placed JR Pitch on indefinite hiatus in 2018. A proposed replacement called Pitch - The Weekend did not proceed in 2019, while Phoenix Fest was subsequently created by youth pastors from several EMCC churches as an independent successor-style retreat. A junior-high retreat called REBOOT began at Stayner Camp in 2023. The EMCC remains an active Canadian denomination whose identity is defined by congregational ministry, evangelical theology, Christian education, camps, youth outreach, and international mission partnerships. Detailed public information about its current national officers, headquarters, finances, and corporate structure is not established in the supplied reference material.
History
The Evangelical Missionary Church's history is rooted in several Protestant and evangelical movements rather than in a single founding personality. Its background reaches to the Protestant Reformation in Europe, the migration of European Christians to the eastern seaboard of the United States, and the later settlement and church planting of Ontario and the Canadian West. German-speaking immigrants and their descendants helped transmit evangelical and Methodist-influenced practices into North American communities. One institutional predecessor, the Evangelical Church in Canada, developed a tradition marked by evangelistic urgency, biblical fundamentalism, spiritual disciplines, and attention to the work of the Holy Spirit. Its theology retained affinities with the early Methodist teaching associated with John Wesley, especially the importance of conversion, disciplined Christian living, and active witness. These emphases helped shape the predecessor body's congregational and missionary culture. The second major predecessor, the Missionary Church of Canada, emerged from nineteenth-century revival currents in North America. It carried forward elements of the Missionary Church's Swiss Mennonite background, including Anabaptist ideas about Christian fellowship, community responsibility, brotherhood, and believer's baptism. Prior to 1987, the Evangelical and Missionary bodies had functioned as two districts within the broader Missionary Church Christian denomination. Their separate Canadian identities were subsequently consolidated. In 1993, the Evangelical Church in Canada and the Missionary Church of Canada merged to form the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada. The merger gave the new denomination a combined theological and institutional inheritance: evangelical proclamation and spiritual formation from one side, and Anabaptist community and baptismal traditions from the other. The resulting church developed as a Canadian network of local congregations with a strong emphasis on mission, education, youth activity, and church multiplication. The EMCC's institutional development included the creation or sponsorship of two colleges. Rocky Mountain College in Calgary and Emmanuel Bible College in Kitchener provided training for pastors, missionaries, and other church leaders. The two institutions together have educated more than 3,000 students. The denomination also developed a camp and retreat network of six affiliated or operated sites across Canada, creating venues for discipleship, family programs, conferences, and youth ministry. Missionary activity became another defining part of the denomination's work. Through EMCC World Partners and cooperation with other agencies, the church supports approximately 85 missionaries in 24 countries, with some work taking place in Canada. The program reflects the denomination's combination of evangelical outreach and holistic mission concerns. Youth ministry became especially prominent through Pitch and Praise. Established in 1974 through the initiative of Dr. Denis Bell, the event grew into one of Ontario's largest Christian youth gatherings, attracting more than 2,000 attendees at its height. Participants camped at the venue and attended general sessions featuring music and speakers, while also taking part in sports, workshops, games, electronic gaming competitions, and a battle of the bands. The event initially took place at Stayner Camp and later moved to Braeside Pentecostal Camp in Paris, Ontario, because of growth and limitations at the original site. JR Pitch was established in 1994 for younger students and eventually attracted more than 1,000 participants. The programs also became sites of debate over the relationship between evangelical youth culture, denominational control, and controversial speakers. Some groups objected to the participation of speakers viewed as affirming LGBTQ+ identities or as outside conventional evangelical boundaries, while others criticized what they saw as cautious programming. A proposed speaker, Kevin Makins, was removed from the Pitch lineup by denominational leadership because of his public position on LGBTQ+ issues. These disputes formed part of the context surrounding the eventual discontinuation of Pitch and Praise and the hiatus of JR Pitch in 2018. The EMCC considered replacing the large event with Pitch - The Weekend, aimed more specifically at youth within the denomination and modeled in part on a western Canadian event called The Weekend. The proposed 2019 edition did not occur and later plans were left on hold. In response, youth pastors associated with EMCC churches established Phoenix Fest in 2019. For junior-high ministry, REBOOT began at Stayner Camp in 2023 as a successor to JR Pitch. Today, the EMCC is characterized by a distributed network of Canadian churches, educational institutions, camps, and missionary partnerships. Public reference material identifies approximately 150 congregations, with most located in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Centre Street Church in Calgary is identified as its largest congregation. Specific current leadership, administrative headquarters, membership totals, and financial information are not established in the supplied sources.
- 2023
REBOOT launched
[1]REBOOT began at Stayner Camp as a retreat and spiritual successor for the junior-high audience previously served by JR Pitch.
- 2019
Phoenix Fest launched
[1]Youth pastors from several EMCC churches created Phoenix Fest as a new non-denominational spring retreat after the end of Pitch and Praise.
- 2018
Pitch programs discontinued or paused
[1]EMCC leadership discontinued Pitch and Praise and placed JR Pitch on indefinite hiatus while considering replacement programming.
- 2006
Pitch and Praise moved to Braeside
[1]The event moved from Stayner Camp to Braeside Pentecostal Camp in Paris, Ontario, following attendance growth, facility constraints, and noise complaints.
- 2002
The Club added to Pitch and Praise
[1]An electronic dance music-oriented feature known as The Club was added to the youth event, expanding its musical and cultural programming.
- 1994
JR Pitch established
[1]A junior-high version of Pitch was created for students in grades six through eight and later grew to more than 1,000 attendees.
- 1993
Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada formed
[1]The Evangelical Church in Canada merged with the Missionary Church of Canada, creating the denomination's present organizational identity.
- 1987
Predecessor districts reorganized
[1]Before 1987, the Evangelical Church in Canada and the Missionary Church of Canada had been two districts within the broader Missionary Church Christian denomination.
- 1974
Pitch and Praise founded
[1]Dr. Denis Bell initiated Pitch and Praise, a Christian youth gathering that was later operated by the EMCC and became a major Ontario youth event.
Products and positioning
An evangelical Canadian denomination combining revivalist and holiness-oriented spirituality with Anabaptist community traditions, believer's baptism, Christian education, youth ministry, and international mission.
Religious services
Congregational ministry
The EMCC's principal offering is the ministry of its approximately 150 local churches. Congregations provide Christian worship, preaching, prayer, pastoral care, discipleship, fellowship, community outreach, and opportunities for local service. The network is concentrated in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, while individual churches adapt their programs to local communities.
Missionary program
EMCC World Partners
EMCC World Partners is the denomination's mission-support framework. In combination with other evangelical and holistic mission agencies, it supports approximately 85 missionaries working in 24 countries, including some forms of mission service within Canada. The program connects local churches with international evangelism, development, service, and church-related work.
Theological education
Christian colleges
Rocky Mountain College in Calgary and Emmanuel Bible College in Kitchener are educational institutions launched or supported by the denomination. They train pastors, missionaries, church leaders, and other Christian workers. The two colleges are reported to have educated more than 3,000 students in total.
Christian camps
Camp and retreat ministry
The EMCC operates or is affiliated with six camps across Canada. These sites support retreats, youth gatherings, Christian education, seasonal programming, and community-building activities. Stayner Camp in Ontario has been particularly associated with the denomination's historic youth events.
Youth event · 1974
Pitch and Praise
Pitch and Praise was a large, non-denominational Christian youth gathering operated by the EMCC. It combined camping with worship sessions, contemporary Christian music, preaching, sports, workshops, video-game competitions, and a battle of the bands. Artists associated with the event included Randy Stonehill, Servant, Newsboys, Pillar, and Starfield. The program was discontinued in 2018.
Junior-high youth event · 1994
JR Pitch
JR Pitch was established for students in grades six through eight and was held annually in September at Stayner Camp. It used a format similar to Pitch and Praise and grew to attract more than 1,000 younger participants. The event was placed on indefinite hiatus in 2018.
Junior-high retreat · 2023
REBOOT
REBOOT is a retreat for junior-high students that began at Stayner Camp in 2023. It has been described as a spiritual successor to JR Pitch, continuing the denomination's focus on age-specific youth gatherings and retreat-based Christian formation.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Phoenix Fest
Ontario · Canada
A new non-denominational spring youth conference created by youth pastors from several EMCC churches after Pitch and Praise ended.
Outcome. The 2019 edition was reported as successful and was intended to continue in response to demand.
- 1994JR Pitch
Ontario · Canada
A parallel outreach and retreat program for junior-high students, particularly grades six through eight.
Outcome. The event reportedly grew to more than 1,000 attendees before being placed on indefinite hiatus in 2018.
- 1974Pitch and Praise
Ontario · Canada
A large youth outreach event using camping, music, preaching, sports, workshops, and entertainment to communicate the Christian gospel in a contemporary setting.
Outcome. The event became one of Ontario's largest Christian youth gatherings, reached peak attendance of more than 2,000, and was discontinued in 2018.
Brand decisions
2018
Discontinuation of Pitch and PraiseStrategyBackground
The event's later programming generated disagreement among participating youth groups over speaker selection, theological boundaries, and the treatment of LGBTQ+ issues.
Action taken
Denominational leadership discontinued Pitch and Praise and discussed a possible replacement called Pitch - The Weekend.
Aftermath
The proposed 2019 replacement did not occur. Phoenix Fest was later created independently by youth pastors from several EMCC churches.
2018
JR Pitch placed on indefinite hiatusStrategyBackground
Changes to the denomination's youth-event strategy affected both the main Pitch program and its junior-high counterpart.
Action taken
JR Pitch was placed on indefinite hiatus.
Aftermath
REBOOT began at Stayner Camp in 2023 as a related junior-high retreat and spiritual successor.
2006
Relocation of Pitch and PraiseStrategyBackground
Attendance growth, limitations at Stayner Camp, and noise complaints created practical problems for the established venue.
Action taken
EMCC moved Pitch and Praise to Braeside Pentecostal Camp in Paris, Ontario.
Aftermath
The event continued in a larger or more suitable setting until its discontinuation in 2018.
1993
Merger of Canadian predecessor churchesM&ABackground
The Evangelical Church in Canada and the Missionary Church of Canada had developed as related but distinct Canadian bodies within the wider Missionary Church tradition.
Action taken
The two organizations merged to form the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada.
Aftermath
The merger established the denomination's current identity and combined evangelical, Methodist-influenced, Mennonite, and Anabaptist inheritances.
Sources2 sources
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