Canadian Baptists of Western Canada

The Canadian Baptists of Western Canada, formerly the

Canadian Baptists of
Baptist Union of Western Canada, is a moderate Baptist
Christian association of churches in British Columbia, Alberta, Western Canada
Saskatchewan,[1] Manitoba, Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Classification Evangelicalism
Headquarters is in Calgary, Alberta. The union is one of four Theology Baptist
components of Canadian Baptist Ministries.
Associations Canadian Baptist
Ministries ·
History Evangelical
Fellowship of
Baptists in western Canada began in Manitoba in the 1860s, Canada ·
organizing formally in 1884 with the establishment of the Baptist
Canadian Council
Convention of Manitoba and the Northwest.[2] In 1897, British
of Churches
Columbian Baptists organized their own Convention.[3] These
Conventions, and others, united to form the Baptist Convention of Region Western Canada
[4]
Western Canada in 1907, representing 201 churches and 11,000 Headquarters Calgary, Alberta,
[5]
congregants. The name was changed to the Baptist Union of Canada
[6]
Western Canada (BUWC) in 1909, by which it was known until
Origin 1860
2007. In 1944, the BUWC joined with the United Baptist
Manitoba
Convention of the Maritimes and the Baptist Convention of
Ontario and Quebec to form the Baptist Federation of Canada Congregations 180
(BFC) as a national coordinating body.[7] It was joined by l'Union Official website cbwc.ca (http://cb
d'Eglises Baptistes Francaises au Canada in 1970.[8] These four wc.ca)
bodies remained federated until 1995 when the federation, by now
renamed Canadian Baptist Federation (CBF), merged with Canadian Baptist Ministries, which now
functions as the shared outreach arm of all four associations.[9][10]

They have ordained female pastors since 1959.[11]

In 2007, the BUWC changed its name to the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada to better reflect its
national identity and western focus.[12]

Key figures in CBWC history include: Tommy Douglas, a Baptist minister in Weyburn Saskatchewan and
healthcare reforming politician, William Aberhart (Bible Bill), an Albertan radio personality and Albertan
Premier. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker was also a Canadian Baptist.[13]

Statistics
According to a census published by the association in 2020, it claimed 180 churches. [14]

Beliefs
The association has a Baptist confession of faith.[15] The Union is a member of Canadian Baptist Ministries
and Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. [16]
The group's theological positions are evangelical.[17]

Organization
The Canadian Baptists of Western Canada is organized into three regions: British Columbia and the Yukon,
the Mountain Standard Region (Alberta, the NWT, and MST portions of BC), and the Heartland Region
(Saskatchewan and Manitoba). The work of the denomination is overseen by the executive minister, three
regional ministers, and various ministry and administrative staff. A board of directors is elected from
member churches at a bi-annual assembly and is responsible for the overall governance of the CBWC. The
CBWC's head offices are in Calgary, Alberta.

Associated ministries
Carey Theological College in Vancouver provides much of the denomination's graduate level theological
training for pastors and lay leaders.[18] The William Carey Institute in Vancouver provides undergraduate
training.

The CBWC owns or is affiliated with six children's camps across Western Canada: Keats Camps in BC,
Gull Lake Centre, Mill Creek Baptist Camp and Camp Wapiti in Alberta, and The Quest at Christopher
Lake and Katepwa Baptist Kamp in Saskatchewan.

Food banks and ministries to vulnerable or impoverished people operate under the auspices of Canadian
Baptist churches known as the Mustard Seed in Calgary, Edmonton and Victoria. Many other CBWC
churches run community outreach ministries in their communities.

References
1. Harry Renfree. Heritage and Horizon: The Baptist Story in Canada, p. 211.
2. J.E. Harris. The Baptist Union of Western Canada, St. John: Lingley Printing, 1976, p. 26
3. Margaret E. Thompson. The Baptist Story in Western Canada. Calgary: Baptist Union of
Western Canada, pp. 107-110.
4. J.E. Harris, The Bpaits Union of Western Canada, p. 55.
5. Bentall, Shirley (1975). Buckboard to brotherhood : the Baptist churches in Calgary (https://a
rchive.today/20130628053150/http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/loc_hist/page.aspx?id=49990
4). Calgary, Alberta: Century Calgary Publications. p. 12. Archived from the original (http://w
ww.ourfutureourpast.ca/loc_hist/page.aspx?id=499904) on 2013-06-28.
6. J.E. Harris. The Baptist Union of Western Canada, p. 56.
7. J.E. Harris, The Baptist Union of Western Canada, p. 116.
8. Harry Renfree. Heritage and Horizon. The Baptist Story in Canada. Mississauga: Canadian
Baptist Federation, 1988. p. 275.
9. Wardin, Albert W. (1995). Baptists Around the World: A Comprehensive Handbook.
Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman. ISBN 978-0-8054-1076-1.
10. McBeth, H. Leon (1987). The Baptist Heritage: Four Century of Baptist Witness (https://archi
ve.org/details/baptistheritage0000mcbe). Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman Press. ISBN 978-0-
8054-6569-3.
11. Harris, Joseph Edwin (1977). The Baptist Union of Western Canada: A Centennial History,
1873–1973. Saint John, N.B: Lingley Print. Co. p. 135. OCLC 4857407 (https://www.worldca
t.org/oclc/4857407).
12. Annual Report to Biennial Assembly. Canadian Baptists of Western Canada. April 2007.
p. 1.
13. Renfree, Harry A. (1987). Heritage & Horizon: The Baptist Story in Canada. Mississauga,
Ont.: Canadian Baptist Federation. pp. 229–300. ISBN 978-0-921796-00-8.
14. Canadian Baptists of Western Canada, ABOUT (https://cbwc.ca/about/), cbwc.ca, Canada,
retrieved December 5, 2020
15. Canadian Baptists of Western Canada,Statement of Faith (https://cbwc.ca/about/#statement-
of-faith), cbwc.ca, Canada, retrieved April 25, 2020
16. Harry Renfree. Heritage and HorizonA: The Baptist Story in Canada, p. 275.
17. Jones, William H. (1980). What Canadian Baptists Believe. Niagara Falls, Ont.: JBTS
Publishing House. pp. 2–3. ISBN 0-919151-00-0. OCLC 8950808 (https://www.worldcat.org/
oclc/8950808).
18. Harry Renfree. Heritage and Horizon: The Baptist Story in Canada. pp.338-339.

External links
Official website (http://www.cbwc.ca)

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