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Download the full, four-page PDF of the Feb/Mar 2026 issue,o r read the main story below. Aussi disponible en français. A federal bill addressing anti-religious threats and violence has been amended to remove an important protection for minority religious groups. The EFC believes this protection should not be removed – and asks concerned Canadians to contact their MPs. Bill C-9, the Combating Hate Act, was introduced in September. It proposes changes to the Criminal Code requ

Traduit de l'anglais par François Godbout Projet de loi visant à mettre fin à l'AMM pour les personnes atteintes de maladie mentale : Les personnes souffrant uniquement de maladie mentale seront admissibles à l'aide médicale à mourir (AMM) en mars 2027. Le projet de loi C-218, qui mettra fin à cette extension, a fait l'objet d'une heure de débat en décembre et un autre débat est prévu pour la fin février. Les députés voteront début mars pour décider si le projet de loi sera s

Traduit de l'anglais par François Godbout Un projet de loi fédéral visant à lutter contre les menaces et les violences antireligieuses a été amendé afin de supprimer une protection importante pour les groupes religieux minoritaires. L'AÉC estime que cette protection ne devrait pas être supprimée et demande aux Canadiens concernés de contacter leurs députés. Le projet de loi C-9, intitulé Loi contre la haine, a été présenté en septembre. Il propose des modifications au Code cr

Traduit de l'anglais par François Godbout Une vision de la guérison au Canada, qui inclut une prise de conscience spirituelle et la réconciliation avec les peuples autochtones, a vu le jour en 1995 et continue d'inspirer des actions en 2026. La dernière initiative en date s'intitule « Commémoration de l'Assemblée sacrée de 1995 », un événement organisé à Winnipeg du 23 au 25 janvier (au moment même où ce bulletin d'information est envoyé). Le président de l'AÉC, David Guretzk

A vision for healing in Canada was sparked in 1995 that involved a spiritual reckoning, bringing together faith leaders and elected officials from across Canada at an event called The Sacred Assembly. EFC leaders were a part of the event and helped to edit a document called the Reconciliation Proclamation, which was a result of the Sacred Assembly and a seed for much of the work that continues today. Thirty years later, some of the original organizers are now hosting a commem

This article is reprinted with permission from Faith Today (Jan/ Feb 2026). →en français This past fall I attended an event honouring the late Rabbi Reuven Bulka, a loved and respected rabbi from Ottawa. I was struck by the high level of security and how such measures are now common in Jewish circles. I thought, How sad we’ve come to this point in Canada where Jews are constantly forced to prepare for potential physical violence! Antisemitism isn’t new. For millennia Jews hav

This article is reprinted with permission from Faith Today (Jan/Feb 2026). →en français Recent legislative proposals, federal and provincial, will negatively impact religious freedom. These are prompting increased collaboration among diverse religious communities. These interactions are possible because of a long history of building respectful relationships despite deep theological differences. Such relationship building does not involve compromising our deeply held commitmen

Download the full, four-page PDF of the Dec 2025/Jan 2026 issue, or read the main story below. Aussi disponible en français. Many churches, especially those just starting out, rent spaces for their gatherings. Faith-based organizations also rent larger venues for special events. Finding the right space can be challenging. This winter, the EFC will be in a Quebec court as part of a coalition arguing in support of religious freedom. Specifically, we will argue that religious gr

In recent weeks, there has been much controversy about Bill C-9, a new hate crimes bill introduced primarily at the request of Jewish communities after an alarming increase of antisemitism in Canada. Of particular concern is a possible change to the bill that would remove an existing protection for religious expression. Here is what's happening with Bill C-9, the possible removal of the good faith religious belief defence, and what you can do. What’s happening? The House of C

→en français The Right Honourable Mark Carney Prime Minister of Canada Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 Dear Prime Minister, The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (The EFC) is very concerned about the rise in hate crimes targeting religious groups. We are deeply troubled by the alarming increase in antisemitism in Canada. Jews are and have consistently been among the most frequent targets of hate crimes in Canada, and the number of antisemit

The first hour of debate on Bill C-218 took place in the House of Commons last Friday. This bill would stop the coming expansion of MAiD for mental illness alone. A law has already been passed that will allow a person to be eligible for MAiD on the basis of mental illness alone. This expansion is slated to take effect in March 2027, unless legislation is passed to stop it. Bill C-218 would stop the expansion. The sponsoring MP, Tamara Jansen, gave a compelling overview of why

Traduit de l'anglais par François Godbout Statut d'organisme de bienfaisance : Le ministre des Finances nous a confirmé que le gouvernement « n'envisage pas de modifier la Loi de l'impôt sur le revenu afin de supprimer la promotion de la religion comme objectif de bienfaisance admissible, ni n'élabore activement de politique à ce sujet ». Un courriel du ministère des Finances à l’AÉC a fait écho à ce message. TheEFC.ca/CharitableStatus Nouveau projet de loi sur les crimes hai

Articles de fond Venez, Divin Messie : Oh viens, divin Messie. La surprenante dualité de la période de l'Avent. Atteindre ceux qui sont derrière les barreaux. Comment le bénévolat virtuel rend le ministère carcéral plus accessible que jamais. Le hip-hop a toujours fait partie de l'histoire. Un enseignant et chef de file du hip-hop en Nouvelle-Écosse parle du ministère dans une culture dynamique mais mal comprise au Canada. Le Dialogue catholique–évangélique propose une voie d

Traduit de l'anglais par François Godbout Récemment, toute une série de conséquences sociales et mentales négatives ont été imputées aux réseaux sociaux. Partout dans le monde, des écoles interdisent les téléphones afin d'empêcher l'accès aux réseaux sociaux. Comment les réseaux sociaux influencent-ils la formation religieuse de nos jeunes, et comment ceux qui s'occupent de nos jeunes les utilisent-ils dans leur ministère ? Pour répondre à ces deux dernières questions, nous n

In a parliamentary Justice Committee meeting in December on Bill C-9, MP Marc Miller directed a question to Derek Ross from the Christian Legal Fellowship. MP Miller said: "I want to dig in a little bit to the concept of ‘good faith,’ Mr. Ross. In Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Romans… there’s other passages… there is clear hatred towards, for example, homosexuals. I don’t understand how the concept of ‘good faith’ can be invoked if someone were, literally invoking a passage from, i

The EFC received an email from a Finance Department manager this week, confirming that “The Government is not considering removing the advancement of religion as a qualifying charitable purpose under the ITA.” It echoes the response by the Finance Minister to a petition about charitable status that was tabled on Nov. 3. “The Government of Canada is not considering amending the Income Tax Act to remove the advancement of religion as a qualifying charitable purpose, nor is it a

This article is reprinted with permission from Faith Today (Nov/Dec 2025). →en français In 1945 Harry Emerson Fosdick, pastor and critic of American fundamentalism, declared, "I do not believe in the virgin birth. … I do not know of any intelligent minister who does." In a secular age it’s understandable that anything smacking of the transcendent is met with skepticism. Fosdick was free to question the virgin birth but – note well – his nonbelief runs against the long grain o

This article is reprinted with permission from Faith Today (Nov/Dec 2025). →en français The positive contribution of faith communities in Canada is being challenged by a new series of initiatives targeting religious institutions and public religious expression. Many of the challenges are grouped together in a disturbing committee report on the advancement of secularization presented to the Quebec government in August. The 300-page report provides a comprehensive vision of wha

We continue to hear from many churches concerned about possible changes to charitable status. We haven’t seen any direct communications from the Finance Minister on the government’s plans, but there are MPs going on the record to indicate there are no plans to change charitable status for religious organizations. The Finance Committee held pre-budget consultations this past summer and received 948 written briefs, including from the EFC. The EFC, along with many others, asked

Bill C-9 was introduced in the House of Commons on September 19, 2025. It has now passed in the Senate and will become law. The bill defines hatred and creates four new offences in the Criminal Code. It also removes the requirement that the Attorney General consent to laying charges for hate propaganda offences. Recent history On December 9, 2025, the Justice Committee voted to amend Bill C-9 so that it removes the religious belief defence from the hate speech provisions in