How We Got Started: Canada
The Birth of the Movement in Canada
Our journey in Canada began in the early 1900s when a team was sent to start churches in Montreal. Unfortunately, those early efforts didn’t take root, and the work was eventually closed.
Fast forward to 1996, when a new team—consisting of Bartley & Sarah Sawatsky, Phil & Beth Bryant and Nathan Bryant—was commissioned during the 1996 national conference to plant churches in the Toronto area. Their faith and dedication paid off quickly—they raised more than enough support in just nine months, showing God's provision and the excitement for sharing His love in Canada.
In 1997, the team moved to Mississauga, Ontario.
The Growth of the Movement in Canada
Soon after, many mission teams from the U.S. came to serve alongside them—300 in the first summer and over 400 the next. They connected with a small, struggling local church, and six of its members joined the new work. This marked the launch of Grace Community Church in a school gym, with 147 people attending its first service. During that first year, more than 35 adults received Jesus, were baptized, and became part of the church family.
As the church grew, the team trained Canadian interns to help plant new churches in Canada’s major cities. In 2005, leadership took a turn, when Phil & Beth Bryant moved to Vancouver, where they helped start Community of Hope Church, which grew from a small core to a thriving local church.
Some of the original team mentored others who felt called to plant churches in Alberta and beyond. In 2011, Grasslands Church opened with a handful of families and grew steadily. In Ontario, after some challenges, Grace Community Church and its daughter church, Real Life, merged to form Renew Church in 2015, which launched additional campuses, expanding their reach.
In 2017, the mission focus shifted to local efforts through Grace Fellowship Canada, and the work of revitalizing and planting churches continued. However, from 2020-2023, challenges like COVID-19 and leadership struggles hit hard, reducing the number of churches/campuses from six to just two. Despite these setbacks, God rekindled the heart of our leaders, calling us to renew our efforts, rebuild relationships, and trust Him to bring growth and new churches across the country.
Today, Canada’s spiritual landscape is shrinking, with fewer people following Christ, especially in cities. Still, our hope remains firm—there is a great need for the gospel, and we are trusting God to lead us toward renewal and revival across this beautiful land.
A Call to Prayer and Support
Canada has gone from 15% evangelical in 1997 to 7% in 2024, with only 3.5% attending regularly in an evangelical church, and it is half that in city or urban areas. Now over 54% of Canadians see themselves as non-religious. The darkness is growing and the need for the gospel is great in Canada.
Pray for God to raise up leaders who will join the team and work to plant new churches.
Pray for the funding that is needed to restart the mission, both in support for the missionary, but also for funding to start new ministry in support the future ministries that will happen.
Pray for wisdom and healing for the existing churches and for salvation and growth. Renew church is now meeting on Sunday mornings and has grown over the past two years. They also have seen many come to Christ and be baptized. They are asking God for a property they can purchase and make their home and also their sending point.
