Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Canadian Baptist Christian denomination and national fellowship of churches, ministries, educational institutions, and mission activities.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada is a Baptist Christian denomination and national association of churches in Canada. Commonly identified as the Fellowship or FEBCC, it brings together congregations that share an evangelical Baptist confession of faith while retaining a regional structure and local-church identity. Its national headquarters are in Guelph, Ontario. The Fellowship emerged from the consolidation of two Baptist movements in central Canada. In 1928, the Union of Regular Baptist Churches of Ontario and Quebec, associated with the ministry and leadership of Thomas Todhunter Shields, separated from the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec. A separate Fellowship of Independent Baptist Churches was established in 1933. These two bodies merged in 1953, creating the organization that became the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada. The Fellowship subsequently expanded beyond Ontario and Quebec. The Regular Baptist Missionary Fellowship of Alberta joined in 1963, and the Convention of Regular Baptist Churches of British Columbia, originally founded in 1927, joined in 1965. The organization is structured through five regional fellowships: Fellowship Pacific, Fellowship Prairies, FEB Central, AÉBÉQ, and Fellowship Atlantic. This arrangement gives the denomination a national identity while allowing ministry and church relationships to operate through regional networks. The Fellowship is affiliated with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, a broader Canadian evangelical organization. Its activities extend beyond denominational administration. The Fellowship supports mission work in Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, Pakistan, and South America. It also provides ministry resources intended to assist member churches. The organization maintains relationships with institutions involved in theological and ministry education, including Heritage College & Seminary in Cambridge, Ontario; Northwest Baptist Seminary in Langley, British Columbia; and SEMBEQ in Quebec. Heritage is described as a principal training institution for church leaders serving across Canada, while the other schools serve as significant partners in western and French-speaking Canada. The Fellowship's institutional and communications work includes Thrive, its official magazine, which is published three times a year. It is also affiliated with Muskoka Bible Centre, a Christian convention and ministry centre. These activities reflect the Fellowship's role as more than a coordinating body: it functions as a denominational network supporting congregational life, leadership development, Christian education, missions, and shared resources. Historical membership figures indicate substantial growth and reach. In 1995, the Fellowship was reported to include more than 503 churches and over 66,612 members. Its reported membership had risen to 71,073 by 2001. The available reference material does not provide a current membership total, a current church count, or a detailed account of subsequent organizational changes. In 2011, Rev. Steven Jones was appointed president. The Fellowship remains an active Canadian Baptist denomination, with its identity grounded in evangelical theology, Baptist church life, regional cooperation, theological training, and international mission.
History
The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada developed from Baptist associations that sought to maintain a distinct evangelical and regular-Baptist identity within Canada. The first major precursor identified in the available historical material was the Union of Regular Baptist Churches of Ontario and Quebec. Led by Thomas Todhunter Shields, this body separated from the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec in 1928. The separation formed part of the denominational realignment among Baptist churches in central Canada. Another precursor, the Fellowship of Independent Baptist Churches, was formed in 1933. The two organizations operated separately for two decades before merging in 1953. That merger created the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada and established the institutional basis for the national fellowship known today as the FEBCC or The Fellowship. The organization expanded westward through the incorporation of additional Baptist bodies. The Regular Baptist Missionary Fellowship of Alberta joined in 1963. Two years later, in 1965, the Convention of Regular Baptist Churches of British Columbia joined the Fellowship. The British Columbia convention had itself been founded in 1927, giving the national organization a connection to an earlier western Baptist history. These affiliations broadened the Fellowship from a central-Canadian association into a more geographically extensive national network. The Fellowship's identity is based on a Baptist confession of faith and on cooperation among affiliated congregations. It is not described as a single congregation or as a commercial company. Instead, it operates as a denomination and church fellowship with national coordination and regional fellowships. Its five regional divisions are Fellowship Pacific, Fellowship Prairies, FEB Central, AÉBÉQ, and Fellowship Atlantic. The regional model allows churches in different parts of Canada to work within local cultural, linguistic, and ministry contexts while participating in a wider national body. The Fellowship also developed a broad institutional role. Its work includes ministry resources for churches, support for international missions, relationships with ministry-training schools, and denominational communication. Mission activity is reported in Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, Pakistan, and South America. Its educational relationships include Heritage College & Seminary in Cambridge, Ontario; Northwest Baptist Seminary in Langley, British Columbia; and SEMBEQ in Quebec. These institutions support the preparation of pastors, church leaders, and other ministry workers, with Heritage identified as the principal training ground for leaders serving Canadian churches. The organization has also maintained a publishing and gathering function. Thrive is its official magazine and is issued three times each year. Muskoka Bible Centre is affiliated with the Fellowship and provides a setting associated with Christian conferences, retreats, and related ministry activities. By 1995, the Fellowship was reported to comprise more than 503 churches and over 66,612 members. A later reported figure placed membership at 71,073 in 2001. These figures demonstrate the scale of the organization during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, although the available sources do not establish current membership or congregation totals. In 2011, Rev. Steven Jones was appointed president. The available material does not identify subsequent presidents or provide a detailed chronology of later administrative developments. The Fellowship continues to be characterized as an active Canadian evangelical Baptist denomination affiliated with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
- 2011
Steven Jones appointed president
[1]Rev. Steven Jones was appointed president of the Fellowship.
- 2001
Reported membership reaches 71,073
[1]A reported membership figure for the Fellowship was 71,073.
- 1995
Reported national scale
[1]The Fellowship was reported to include more than 503 churches and over 66,612 members.
- 1965
British Columbia convention joins
[1]The Convention of Regular Baptist Churches of British Columbia joined the Fellowship, strengthening its national geographic reach.
- 1963
Alberta fellowship joins
[1]The Regular Baptist Missionary Fellowship of Alberta joined the national Fellowship.
- 1953
Formation of the FEBCC
[1]The Union of Regular Baptist Churches of Ontario and Quebec and the Fellowship of Independent Baptist Churches merged to form the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada.
- 1933
Fellowship of Independent Baptist Churches formed
[1]A separate Fellowship of Independent Baptist Churches was established, later becoming one of the two bodies that merged to create the FEBCC.
- 1928
Union of Regular Baptist Churches separates from the provincial convention
[1]The Union of Regular Baptist Churches of Ontario and Quebec broke away from the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec under the leadership of Thomas Todhunter Shields.
- 1927
Formation of the British Columbia Baptist precursor
[1]The Convention of Regular Baptist Churches of British Columbia was founded, later becoming part of the Fellowship in 1965.
Products and positioning
A Canadian evangelical Baptist fellowship positioned around cooperation among local churches, a shared Baptist confession of faith, regional denominational networks, ministry-resource support, theological education, and international missions.
Religious association services · 1953
Church fellowship and denominational support
The Fellowship connects affiliated Baptist churches through national and regional structures. Its support role includes cooperation among congregations, ministry resources, shared denominational identity, and assistance with church leadership and ministry development. The five regional fellowships provide geographically focused channels for this work across Canada.
Christian missions
International missions
The Fellowship supports mission activity beyond Canada in Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, Pakistan, and South America. The available source describes this as an organizational area of work but does not provide a complete list of mission agencies, projects, personnel, or current program totals.
Religious education
Ministry and theological education partnerships
The Fellowship maintains strong affiliations with institutions that train pastors and church leaders. Heritage College & Seminary in Cambridge, Ontario, is identified as the main training ground for leaders serving Canadian churches. Northwest Baptist Seminary in Langley, British Columbia, and SEMBEQ in Quebec are also identified as important partners.
Religious publication
Thrive
Thrive is the official magazine of the Fellowship. It is published three times per year and serves as an organizational communication and ministry publication. The available material does not specify its circulation, editorial staff, or precise launch date.
Christian conference and ministry centre
Muskoka Bible Centre affiliation
Muskoka Bible Centre is affiliated with the Fellowship. The available source identifies the relationship but does not detail the legal structure of the affiliation or the full range of programs operated through the centre.
Brand decisions
2011
Appointment of Steven Jones as presidentOtherBackground
The Fellowship required national executive leadership for its network of churches and ministries.
Action taken
Rev. Steven Jones was appointed president.
Aftermath
The available reference records the appointment but does not establish the length of his tenure or identify a successor.
1965
Affiliation of the British Columbia Baptist conventionM&ABackground
The Convention of Regular Baptist Churches of British Columbia had operated since 1927 and represented an established Baptist network in the province.
Action taken
The convention joined the Fellowship.
Aftermath
The move further established the Fellowship as a national rather than solely central-Canadian Baptist body.
1963
Affiliation of the Regular Baptist Missionary Fellowship of AlbertaM&ABackground
The national Fellowship was extending its network beyond its original central-Canadian base.
Action taken
The Regular Baptist Missionary Fellowship of Alberta joined the Fellowship.
Aftermath
The affiliation broadened the Fellowship's presence in western Canada.
1953
Merger of two Baptist fellowshipsM&ABackground
The Union of Regular Baptist Churches of Ontario and Quebec and the Fellowship of Independent Baptist Churches had developed as separate Baptist bodies in central Canada.
Action taken
The two organizations merged to form the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada.
Aftermath
The merger created the national denominational structure that later expanded through affiliations with Baptist bodies in Alberta and British Columbia.
Sources2 sources
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