A handbook of councils and churches profiles of ecumenical relationships

(Eglise évangélique luthérienne au Canada)

Church Family: Lutheran

Membership: 182,077

Congregations: 624

Pastors: 840

Member of: WCC (1985) – CCC – LWF

Periodical: Canada Lutheran

Website: www.elcic.ca

On 1 January 1986 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada (ELCC) and the Lutheran Church in America-Canada Section (LCA-CS) merged to become the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC). The merger process began in the early 1970s with three major bodies participating: ELCC, LCA-CS and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in Canada (now Lutheran Church-Canada, LCC). In the late 1970s the LCC withdrew but the ELCC and the LCA-CS set 1985 as the target date for their merger. The national office of the church is in Win­nipeg, Manitoba, which is in the centre of the country, east to west. Many of the members of this church are of Scandinavian and German ethnic origin, though many other backgrounds are also represented. While English is the major lan­guage of worship, German continues to be significant, and the ELCIC also wor­ships in at least 15 other languages each Sunday, reflecting the cultural mosaic of Canada. In the earlier years and up to the decade after the second world war, the church not only provided a meaningful cultural link for immigrants but also assisted in the integration of immigrants into the Canadian mosaic.

Though small numerically, the church has contributed significantly to the development of Canadian society, especially through its colleges and schools, thousands of whose graduates have gone into the mainstream of Canadian soci­ety and continue to bring leadership with a Christian perspective into the various facets of Canadian culture – in the sciences, politics, medicine, business and edu­cational fields. The ELCIC operates two seminaries, Waterloo Lutheran Seminary in Waterloo, Ontario, and Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In addition, the Bible schools have contributed a significant number of missionaries who have taken their skills to various parts of the globe to share the gospel and aid in development.

The ELCIC is a member of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, which includes 10 other Canadian church bodies. Through KAIROS, together with the Anglican Church of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the United Church of Canada, and other members, the ELCIC works in such areas as aboriginal rights, corporate issues, ecology, global justice, human rights, and refugee and migrant issues. The ELCIC is also a supporting member of Project Ploughshares, an ecumenical peace centre of the Canadian Council of Churches. Through such involvements, there is a growing sensitization of the ELCIC mem­bership in matters of social justice in Canada and around the world. There is strong support for the international development and relief work of Canadian Lutheran World Relief, in partnership with the Global Hunger and Development Appeal of the ELCIC, and the Lutheran World Federation. In 2003 the ELCIC hosted the LWF tenth assembly in Winnipeg.

Believing that theology must undergird all aspects of its life and mission, the church is working with all its members towards a greater awareness of the rela­tion of theology to personal, corporate and community life.

Presbyterian Church in Canada

(Eglise presbytérienne au Canada)

Church Family: Reformed

Membership: 125,500

Presbyteries: 46

Congregations: 980

Pastors: 1,000

Member of : WCC (1948) – CCC – WARC – CANAAC

Periodical: The Presbyterian Record (monthly)

Website: www.presbyterian.ca

The Presbyterian Church in Canada met in general assembly for the first time in 1875, in Montreal. Prior to that, there were four independent synods repre­senting various branches of Presbyterianism, largely on the basis of links with

North America

mother churches in the British Isles. The PCC is a national church, with presby­teries in each of the ten provinces and, though predominantly English-speaking, it has congregations which use French, Hungarian, Italian, Chinese, Ukrainian and even, in the older settlements of Nova Scotia, Gaelic. In 1925, the majority of Canadian Presbyterians merged with Congregationalists and Methodists to form the United Church of Canada. But a considerable minority, convinced that certain specific Presbyterian principles had to be maintained, remained in the continu­ing Presbyterian Church in Canada. The general assembly of the PCC met in 1975 to celebrate the union of four Presbyterian synods in 1875. The church still remains strong in some parts of the Atlantic provinces, and in the Toronto Hamil-ton-St Catharines-Guelph area of Ontario. There are eight synods, corresponding for the most part to the provincial areas of the country.

Various boards and committees were restructured in the 1990s through the efforts of the organization and planning task force. An active programme is being carried out overseas, in Taiwan, Japan, Nigeria and other parts of the world.

(Eglise unie du Canada)

Church Family: United and Uniting

Membership: 608,243

Congregations: 3,583

Pastors: 3,859

Diaconal ministers: 270

Member of: WCC (1948) – CCC – WMC – WARC – CANAAC

Periodical: The United Church Observer

Website: www.united-church.ca

The United Church of Canada came into being in 1925, bringing together the Congregational, Methodist and most Presbyterian (71 percent) churches in Canada. The new church began as, and remains, the largest non-Roman commu­nion in Canada. Besides the members of its local congregations, the UCC has another million or more adherents among the Canadian population. In 1925, the UCC dedicated itself not only as united, but as a uniting church. In 1968, the Canada Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church joined the church. The United Church of Canada has a history of involvement in justice issues both in Canada and overseas, much of this coming from its Methodist and Reformed traditions of caring for people who suffer economic and social injustice.

Canadian society is multicultural and multifaith. It is a culture in which the pervasive economic worldview impacts relationships, values, identities, and understanding of church. The context of globalization and empire includes living next door to the super-power, with increased economic integration through free trade and continental security arrangements. Through advocacy and outreach the church ministers to those marginalized in this economy of exploitation, in addi­tion to providing the traditional ministries and pastoral care. A growing area of work is with ethnic ministries and integration of churches brought to Canada by new immigrants; ministries in French are also an important focus. Meanwhile, in rural areas, the church accompanies local communities that continue to shrink.

Continuing the traditions of the earlier denominations, the church has spoken out strongly and consistently on controversial issues. Current issues receiving widespread attention include the church’s support for equal marriage for same-sex couples, Aboriginal justice and the legacy of abuse in church-supported resi­dential schools that housed Aboriginal students, systemic justice issues (race, gender, economic inequalities, etc.), ecology, biotechnology and food security issues (including climate change, genetically modified food, water, land use), and the rights of refugees. In all such matters, educational resources are provided for church groups and official positions are made known to governmental or other agencies. Working in a framework of “whole world ecumenism” focused on the mending of the world, the church has also supported processes of interchurch and interfaith dialogue, and published important statements on Jewish-United Church and Muslim-United Church relations.

After three decades of collaboration among Canadian churches on a wide vari­ety of social justice issues in Canada and overseas, the work of ten inter-church coalitions was brought together in 2001 in a new coalition, KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. The current agenda and mandate of KAIROS reflect dedication to action in the following priority areas: international human rights; global economic justice (including corporate social responsibility and global trade and debt issues); ecological justice; Canadian social development (including anti-poverty advocacy and funding, health care and refugees/ migrants); Aboriginal rights; global partnerships; education and animation.

Population: 300,037,102

Surface area: 9,6 million sq.km

Capital: Washington D.C.

GNI per capita: 41,400 US$

Classification: Major industrialized economy

Languages: English, Spanish

Religions: Christian 85%; Jewish 2%; Muslim 1,5%; other 3%

Christianity: Catholics 65,900,000; Protestants 61,294,590;

Orthodox 5,922,360; Anglicans 2,206,000; Independent 80,286,300

The first inhabitants of America were the Indians. As of the 16th century Euro­peans established colonies in the “new world” and brought in slaves from Africa. The British colonies declared their independence and founded the United States in 1776. A conflict over state rights and slavery led to the Civil War of 1861-63. In the second half of the 19th century the United States became a major economic power, through mass immigration from Europe, industrialization and expansion to the west. The American Indians were forced onto reservations or into assimi­lation. In the 20th century the United States emerged as a political and military power, confronting the communist block. Since the end of the cold war it is the only super power. Immigration in the 20th century, especially from Latin Amer­ica and Asia, has contributed to the great diversity of the society. Christianity came to the US with the settlers. All the major traditions and denominations are present. The Great Awakenings of the 19th century have played a major role in the emergence of the Evangelical, Holiness, Pentecostal and Charismatic move­ments and their extension in the world. The African American churches were at the heart of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950-60s which brought an end to racial segregation. New forms of church, e.g. megachurches, non-denominational churches, have originated in the US and spread to other countries. The Catholic Church is the single largest church. Baptists make up 33 percent of the Protestants and independents, Pentecostals 18 percent, and non-denominational Evangelicals

North America

and Charismatics 12 percent. Almost all the Orthodox patriarchates have arch­dioceses or dioceses in the US and are integrated in the society. The National Council of Churches is the ecumenical body, and the National Association of Evangelicals is affiliated with the WEA.

*National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA

Founded in 1950 (forerunner: the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in Amer­ica, founded in 1908).

Basis: The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is a community of Christian communions which, in response to the gospel as revealed in the scrip­tures, confess Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, as Saviour and Lord. These communions covenant with one another to manifest ever more fully the unity of the church. Relying upon the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the commu­nions come together as the Council in common mission, serving in all creation to the glory of God.

Member churches:

Alliance of Baptists

Korean Presbyterian Church in America (General Assembly of the)

National Missionary Baptist Convention of America

The Swedenborgian Church

Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America

Website: www.ncccusa.org

The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA is affiliated with the Com­mission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches.

Christian Churches Together in the USA

Founded: Christian Churches Together in the USA has been in formation since 2001, and will be formally organized in 2006.

Basis of participation: Christian Churches Together in the USA welcomes churches, Christian communities, and national Christian organizations that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures; worship and serve the one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and seek ways to work together in order to present a more credible witness in and to the world.

Participants:

Bread for the World

Evangelicals for Social Action

International Pentecostal Holiness Church

Open Bible Churches

The Evangelical Covenant Church

US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Church Family: Methodist

North America

The African Methodist Episcopal Church, a global Wesleyan body, emerged out of the Free African Society (FAS) in Philadelphia, PA. Founded in 1787 as a mutual aid society with a strong religious identity, the group developed into two black congregations, one African Methodist Episcopal and the other Protestant Episcopal. The FAS founder Richard Allen, a former slave who had been since 1783 a Methodist preacher, was enlisted by Philadelphia’s St George Church to preach to local blacks. His increased following stirred St George officers to accost black members while praying and compel them to start separate congregations. The AME Church was formed in Philadelphia in 1816 and Richard Allen became the nation’s first black bishop. The church spread rapidly throughout the North and Midwest. Bishop Allen believed that in emphasizing Methodist doctrine and discipline and a vigorous social witness, the AME members became better heirs to Wesleyanism than their white counterparts. He codified black folk religion and musical patterns in a hymnal for the denomination in 1818. He denounced slav­ery, opposed the removal of free blacks from the United States to Liberia, and presided over the national session of the black convention movement.

The AME Church did not ignore the slave and vulnerable status of its many parishioners. Several congregations served as schools, as stations for the legendary Underground Railroad, and as forums to condemn the black bondage and violence against those who were supposedly free. The church’s efforts to protect and attain freedom for its constituents were reflected in the founding of the British Methodist Episcopal Church in 1856 on the free soil of Canada, the purchase of Wilberforce University in 1863, and the enlistment of AME clergy as Civil War chaplains and AME members as Union Army soldiers. Its rapid rush into the South after the Civil War, to evangelize among ex-slaves, began an era of unprece­dented growth in areas where the denomination had never existed before. Hence, in 1880 the AME Church boasted 400,000 members and numerous schools and colleges to educate clergy and train teachers to improve the lives of African Amer­icans. Nationalist sentiments in the 1890s expressed in the Afro-centric writings of several AME leaders coincided with expansion into West Africa in 1891 and South Africa in 1896.

The massive movement of African Americans from the agrarian South to major urban and industrial areas focused AME congregations on articulating a social gospel relevant to city challenges faced by black migrants. This orientation extended to civil rights activism and the filing of lawsuits against school segrega­tion that culminated in the landmark “Brown decision” of 1954. At the turn of the 21st century the church has episcopal districts in over 30 countries on four continents (six in Africa and one in Latin America/Caribbean). It operates pro­grammes in global ministry, publishing, Christian education and public informa­tion. In recent years the church has expanded to Angola, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ivory Coast, Togo and Benin. There are headquarters facilities in Washington, DC and in Nashville and Mem­phis, Tennessee. Several schools, colleges and seminaries operate in the United States, the Caribbean and in Africa.

*Distribution: USA: 2,120,000 Africa: 375,000 Caribbean: 15,000

Church Family: Methodist

Episcopal Districts: 12

Congregations: 3,226

Pastors: 3,731

Member of: WCC (1948) – NCCC/USA – WMC.

Periodical: Star of Zion

The African Methodist Episcopal Church dates from 1796 when it was orga­nized by a group of black members protesting against discrimination in the John Street Church located in New York City. Their first church, built in 1800, was called Zion; later it became part of the name of the new denomination. The first annual conference was held in this church in 1821, with Philadelphia and Newark, NJ, represented by 19 clergy preachers, and presided over by a repre­sentative of the white Methodist Episcopal Church. The leader of the John Street dissension was elected as the first bishop at this conference. The name African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was approved in the general conference of 1848.

The AME Zion Church spread quickly over the northern states, and by the time of the general conference of 1880, there were 15 annual conferences in the south. Livingstone College and Hood Theological Seminary, located in Salisbury, North Carolina, are the largest educational institutions operated by the church. Both institutions are fully accredited. The general secretary’s office was established in 1872, followed by the departments of missions, education, and publications, which were established in 1892. Administrative boards were established to direct work in church extension, evangelism, finance, ministerial relief, etc. Home mis­sions are supported in all of the annual conferences. The church has sent foreign missionaries to Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, South America and the West Indies. The AME Zion Church now has conferences on five continents. There are three colleges, two seminaries and several foreign stations under the church. It also operates 2,508 Sunday schools with a total enrollment of 72,969.

*Distribution: USA: 1,202,195 Africa: 170,600 Caribbean: 60,000

American Baptist Churches in the USA

Church Family: Baptist

Membership: 1,433,075

Congregations: 5,834

Pastors: 5,592

Member of: WCC (1948) – NCCC/USA – CCT USA – BWA

Periodicals: American Baptists In Mission (quarterly)

American Baptist News Service

American Baptist Quarterly

Website: www.abc-usa.org

The organized existence of the American Baptist Churches in the USA began in 1814, when a national body of Baptists, called the Triennial Convention, was formed. Its immediate purpose was to support a missionary couple to Burma. Later it became the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS). The second body to be founded was the General Tract Society, in 1824. This later became the American Baptist Board of Education and Publication Society (ABBEP). A third one, the American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS)

North America

followed in 1832. Baptist unity in America was first broken in 1845 over the issue of slavery. The Baptists in the south withdrew to organize the Southern Baptist Convention. Following the Civil War, ex-slaves both in the north and the south organized their own churches and conventions on both sides of the Mississippi River. Because they were nationwide, they called themselves National Baptist Conventions, of which there are now three. After the north-south schism in 1845, the Baptists of the north maintained the societal structure until 1907, when the Northern Baptist Convention was founded, involving participation by the three societies (ABFMS, ABBEP, ABHMS), on a voluntary basis. Many state and city Baptist associations became affiliated with the Northern Baptist Convention, also by voluntary action. In 1950 the name was changed to American Baptist Con­vention – to communicate a theological, philosophical and sociological posture of inclusiveness, racially and geographically.

Two parallel women’s boards known as the Women’s American Baptist For­eign Mission Society (WABFMS) and the Women’s American Baptist Home Mis­sion Society (WABHMS) were founded to do work associated with the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society and the American Baptist Home Mission Society. In 1972 the directors of the three national societies were acknowledged to be the boards of the denomination with the following programme designations: ABFMS/ WABFMS (Board of International Ministries), ABBEP (Board of Educational Ministries), ABHMS/WABHMS (Board of National Ministries). This new arrangement was called American Baptist Churches in the USA. It gave Ameri­can Baptist laity more representational control over the denominational mission as expressed through the boards.

In 1979 the American Baptist Churches in the USA was further reorganized to provide for covenantal relationships among all denominational groupings of churches – region, state, city and nation-wide. At present the ABC is the most het­erogeneous Baptist communion in the USA, with no majority racial group. It includes Caucasian churches, black American churches, Hispanic, Asian and Native American Indian congregations, and the Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico. The ABC maintains a close fraternal relationship with a number of conventions and associations of bilingual Baptist churches of nationality groupings from southern and eastern Europe organized as worshipping communities in the United States. There are also close relations with Baptist churches in such coun­tries as Burma, India, Japan, Philippines, Thailand and the Republic of the Congo, and in Latin America.

Ongoing priorities and areas of concern for ABCUSA and its churches include evangelism and church growth, human rights, global religious freedom, economic justice, international stability and national security, peace and justice, pro-choice/pro-life issues, and human sexuality. Major denomination-wide pro­gramme foci and emphases include discipleship, leadership, healthy missional churches, church planting/growth, evangelism, peace and justice, youth, and denominational identity.