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Evangelical Fellowship of Canada celebrates 50 years

Organization continues to focus on fostering identity and public witness

“When someone turns 50 it’s always a time of reflection,” says Evangelical Fellowship of Canada President Clemenger. And for the EFC, a national association bringing together evangelical Christians since 1964, celebrating that milestone is no different.

“There’s such a variety of evangelicals,” says Former executive director Brian Stiller, who formerly served as the EFC’s executive director. “To have a cooperative centre matters.”

Stiller has seen the organization foster identity and cooperation, since becoming the EFC’s first executive director in the spring of 1983. He quickly transformed the organization, building its individual membership to 17,000 and expanding its budget. By the time he left in 1997 the budget had grown from about $60,000 a year to $3 million.

It began, and continues to be, a place to meet, discuss and organize. For Stiller, a key goal was to help evangelicals understand the role they could have in engaging the public and government. He says it has been good to see pastors and denominational leaders take issues like euthanasia, same-sex marriage and prostitution seriously and speak to the wider community.

“If you don’t speak up, people don’t hear,” Stiller says. “And people don’t know that these issues matter to you.”

Going forward Stiller sees EFC continuing to be a vibrant Christian voice.

“We’re continuing to grow in breadth and depth,” says Clemenger, as more groups and organizations join the 40 others, including various denominations and a range of colleges and ministries.

“It’s been wonderful to see,” Clemenger says.

For the last 50 years the EFC has watched the growing secularity of Canadian culture, and gathering evangelicals together to talk and find ways to speak credibly into broader culture from a biblical standpoint.

“We have something to say to the courts,” Clemenger says as the government looks for a foundation for Canada’s laws.

Issues like euthanasia has continued to come up in the courts for the last 20 years, and the EFC has always been there to speak with compassion and courage, “reminding them of the sanctity of life,” says Clemenger. The same biblical principles underpin many Canadian social policies, he adds.

“These principles shape our laws for the benefit of all people,” Clemenger says, commanding us to protect the most vulnerable in society.

Nearing their 50th anniversary, Clemenger says it’s a time to honour the work that was started in the 1960s with the same passion it has today.

Going forward, Clemenger says the EFC continues to monitor the pulse of society, doing analysis on a national level, asking the question, “How can we be more effective in this new context?” For example, the organization’s recent “Hemorrhaging Faith” report examined why young people are leaving the church, giving pastors a better understanding of the culture and resources to engage with it.

Clemenger says those at the EFC continue to look for areas in need of research. “It’s a big country, and very dynamic.”

“Something was birthed in 1964,” Clemenger says. “And a lot of good has come of it for Canadians… let’s continue to build on it.”

 

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