Two years into its strategic plan, The United Church of Canada may not have achieved its goal of creating 100 new communities of faith, but it can boast at least 25 “church plants” across the country. A number of United Church–connected communities have started up in the last few years, thanks to the efforts of motivated community members and with support from the national church.
Cameron Fraser, the director of growth and ministry development at the General Council office, says that all 25 are groups of immigrants who are new to Canada and want to worship in their own language. So the church has seen an opportunity to try to reflect Canada’s diversity. Growing these churches also fits into the strategic plan sub-goal of creating new migrant communities of faith.
“We know that among new Canadians, there’s a desire to practise their Christian faith. And so these are areas in which Christianity is growing,” he says.
But they aren’t official communities of faith that have relationships with Regions. Some have sprung up within an existing congregation, while others aren’t even United churches but part of another denomination like the Zimbabwe United Methodist Church, which has an associate relationship with The United Church of Canada, says Fraser.
Of the 25 churches, 13 have leaders that the denomination is paying as contractors. Fraser says the United Church is making sure there is a “clear pathway” for these leaders to pursue recognized ministry in the denomination if they decide they want to do so.
The General Council office also provides funding for things like venue rentals, program materials and special events. It has budgeted about $430,000 for the project this year.
Growth co-ordinator Emo Yango is helping the new church plants discern if they want a more formal relationship with the denomination. He told a Zoom audience in January that all are at different stages of growth. The church plant leaders “recognize foremost that leading a church plant is a calling to them,” he said.
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Here are three new church plants the United Church is supporting.
1. Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Ottawa
When Issa Winasi moved to Canada from a Malawi refugee camp, he didn’t feel at home in United churches. So in 2020, he and others started Emmanuel United Methodist Church as an all-Swahili community. He now provides leadership to the group.
“We have some people that are unable to speak French or English, so if they can speak Swahili, this is an opportunity to make a home for them,” he says.
More than 50 people, including several families, currently attend Emmanuel United Methodist. Along with Sunday worship and social activities, the congregation helps newcomers get necessary documents or sponsor their family members to come to Canada.
Emmanuel United Methodist worships in a community centre, but Winasi says he would love to find a United church to share space with. Emmanuel also finds it hard to support newcomers.
“We are immigrants, and we don’t have anything,” he says. “So sometimes when we are receiving a newcomer in our community and we don’t have anything to offer them…[we] just only visit them and do some prayer.”
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2. Gallery of Faith in Markham, Ont.
This unique faith community doesn’t have a building — instead, leader Michael Lee uplifts members of the Hong Kong diaspora through meetings at restaurants, outdoor picnics and online worship services.
Lee started Gallery of Faith as a way to reach immigrants from Hong Kong who are interested in learning about a more inclusive form of Christianity. His wife, who is a minister, is also involved.
He says that some in the diaspora went to Catholic or Christian schools. “They have a very, very clear idea of what [Christianity] is.…Like you cannot sin.…You can convert so that the church will accept you.”
He says at least 100 people have attended the virtual and in-person events he’s run in the past year, including berry picking, kids’ art workshops, “happy hour” gatherings and hotpot dinners.
Many immigrants from Hong Kong can’t or won’t go home, he says, because of ongoing political repression, so preserving culture is especially important.
“They are out of their home and then they may not go back,” he says. “And they might have a negative image or experience with church.” In his outreach work, Lee says he tries to “give them hope and give them an image of what the church is instead of what they have in mind.”
3. Christ’s Light Fellowship in Winnipeg
Manitoba’s large Filipino population has a number of culturally specific churches, including Filipino United Community Church, an interdenominational congregation established in 1986 to serve the growing diaspora.
Harold Alvarez currently attends Sunday worship services at Filipino United Community Church, but he sees a niche for a more intimate faith community. So in 2022, he restarted his Bible study group that had been meeting before the pandemic.
Christ’s Light Fellowship meets for a Saturday Bible study at a community centre and holds other social events.
The group counts at least 20 active members but doesn’t do Sunday worship, since many members already attend other churches. The community focuses instead on interpersonal support for newcomers to Canada or practical help like rides to appointments.
Alvarez says he has been working with Yango at the General Council office to establish Christ’s Light as a United Church community of faith. “There’s an influx of newcomers here in Winnipeg, and most of them are really looking for a connection when it comes to finding a church for them. But right now, we’re still in the process of getting into that position of being a church.”
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Emma Prestwich is Broadview’s digital and United Church in Focus editor.
This article first appeared in Broadview’s April/May 2025 issue with the title “25 Migrant Church Plants Give Newcomers a Faith Home.”
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