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International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church Do you know our suffering? This is the theme of this year’s International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, which falls on Sunday, November 1. Over 350 million Christians worldwide endure intense levels of persecution and discrimination simply because of their faith. IDOP is an annual opportunity for Christians around the world to unite in prayer for our brothers and sisters who are suffering for their trust in Jesu

Will you join us in a week of prayer for our local MPs? The House of Commons resumes on Sept. 21, 2026, after the summer recess. We have a prayer for each day in the week leading up to Sept. 21 that you could use in your personal time of prayer, in small groups or congregations. Let's ask God to bless our local MPs and our country. Consider sending your MP a note to thank them for their service to the community and let them know you're praying for them. Let’s pray for our loc

On this first day of September, many students across Canada are already back at school. MPs and Senators also return to Parliament this month after a summer hiatus. In our latest monthly roundup, you’ll find updates on what to watch for in the new session of Parliament as well as other updates including: information about a new pastoral needs study from the EFC research team how the EFC is responding to a policy that bans chaplains from referencing God in public spiritual ref

The Hon. David McGuinty Minister of National Defence 101 Colonel By Drive Ottawa ON K1A 0K2 Dear Minister McGuinty, The EFC is deeply concerned by the recently released Canadian Armed Forces Military Personnel Instructions 03/26 – Spiritual reflections in military settings. This new policy forbids military chaplains from not only praying, but from using words, actions or symbols tied to a specific religious or faith tradition or making any reference to God or the divine in

Traduit de Canada Watch par François Godbout. Alors que la culture et les lois canadiennes évoluent rapidement autour de nous, il est essentiel que les chrétiens canadiens restent informés et réfléchissent ensemble. L’AÉC continue de répondre à ce besoin au niveau national, comme nous l’avons toujours fait, et plus récemment également par des ateliers « Faith Matters » organisés au niveau local. Au cours des deux dernières années, nous avons organisé des rencontres à Regina,

August 22 is the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. While this day might easily pass unnoticed, for Christians, it is a significant occasion to remember those who have suffered and died because of their faith. The Christian story has included persecution from its earliest days. The first Christian martyr was Stephen, whose death is recorded in Acts 7. A book published in 2025, The Martyrs of the New Millennium, documen

A new policy forbids military chaplains from not only praying, but from referring to God or the divine in spiritual reflections. They are being required to be publicly secular. The eminent Canadian philosopher Charles Tayor calls our time the Secular Age, a time when life can be lived without reference to God or the transcendent. Belief in God is only one option. For military chaplains, conforming to the secular age in their public pronouncements is now compelled. The policy

The EFC is deeply concerned over a new national policy that forbids military chaplains from not only praying, but from using words, actions or symbols tied to a specific religious or faith tradition or making any reference to God or the divine in public spiritual reflections. “This policy goes beyond banning prayer and prohibits even the acknowledgment to those gathered that some may believe in the divine and others not,” said Bruce Clemenger, Senior Ambassador and President

The EFC and the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities (CCCC) have been granted co-intervener status before the Supreme Court of Canada in Vabuolas v. British Columbia (Information and Privacy Commissioner). The case is scheduled to be heard on October 9, 2026. The case raises an important and unresolved constitutional question: to what extent are internal religious communications and institutional deliberations protected from examination by provincial privacy regulators and