Celebrating 80 Years of Unity and Diversity
We are inviting you to join us in celebrating 80 years!
As the Canadian Council of Churches marks its 80th anniversary, it remains vital in nurturing Christian unity and advocating for social justice across Canada.
Our Opportunity
The church is the largest social movement in Canada! More than half of Canadians identify as Christians, and the Canadian Council of Churches represents 85% of Canadian Christians. We have an opportunity now to deepen and strengthen our cooperation and unity in faith.
With your support, we are positioned to be a bridge and continue to build unity.
In Canada, disparities and injustices persist:
Poverty rates have decreased to 8.1%, but challenges remain, especially among one-parent families and immigrants.
Racism is significant, with 43% of hate crimes racially motivated in 2017 and racialized Canadians earning 81 cents for every dollar compared to non-racialized individuals.
Furthermore, from 2012 to 2022, nearly 4,000 human trafficking incidents were reported, with 94% of victims being women and girls.
Our Mission
The Canadian Council of Churches responds to Christ’s call for unity and peace, seeks Christ’s truth with affection for diversity, and acts in love through prayer, dialogue, and witness to the gospel.
Our Impact
For over 80 years, we have been a common ground where Christians in Canada can gather to think about our shared calling and work together for the common good. We engage in critical dialogues, advocate for meaningful policies, and nurture a community of faith that stands together for justice and peace.
We have a rich history of impactful work, including:
- Supporting 300 congregational and parish leaders in working to end racism and foster just intercultural communities and churches.
- Strengthening public health care in Canada and securing the foundation of social and solidarity values for public health care in Canada. Thousands of signed petitions along with expert presentations to the Senate, House Committees and Commissions made a difference.
- Supporting refugees, especially through three groundbreaking court decisions for refugee rights in Canada.
- Working to end poverty in Canada by meeting with politicians, partnering with stakeholders, and listening to people with lived experiences, resulting in new policies such as the Canada poverty reduction strategy.
- Strengthening relationships for deeper interfaith dialogue and multifaith action across Canada, resulting in 50 years of Christian/Jewish and Christian/Muslim dialogue and 75 years of ecumenical chaplaincy in the military and in prisons.
- Gathering 80 faith leaders to sign a declaration of hope, gratitude, and solidarity when the Covid pandemic was declared, then hosting an unprecedented conversation of those leaders with the Prime Minister of Canada.
Responding to conflicts, we have been persistently praying and acting for peace.
What We Do
In our commitment to serving Canada’s Christian communities, we continue to advance several project priorities through our dedicated commissions and working groups.
Commission on Faith and Witness is developing a theology of Christian citizenship. If we are members or “citizens” of the Church, what does this mean for other forms of “citizenship” and group identities?
Commission on Justice and Peace: works towards ending racism, promoting reconciliation with Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples, and addressing poverty issues.
Sexual Exploitation Working Group: tackles issues like pornography, prostitution, and human trafficking through vigilant advocacy.
Faith and Life Sciences Reference Group: manages technological and ethical concerns, mainly related to gene editing and AI.
Christian Interfaith Reference Group: fosters dialogue among diverse religious communities
Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning: provides innovative educational resources for intercultural leadership, addressing anti-Black racism in Canadian churches and society.
Project Ploughshares: leads our efforts in advocating for peace and disarmament, including supporting nuclear disarmament and controlling arms shipments globally through the Arms Trade Treaty, as well as engaging with other organizations to prevent the weaponization of space.
Coming Together
Celebrating 80 Years!
As we celebrate 80 years, the CCC is launching a campaign to raise $650,000 to expand its impactful programs.
- Invest in our people, programs, and systems to increase our impact and support for 13,500 congregations and parishes in Canada,
- Connect with over 500 young adults leading the church today, and
- Extend our active engagement with 1000 local worshipping communities and networks across Canada.
Help Us Raise $650,000
Mail cheques to: 47 Queen’s Park Crescent East Toronto, ON M5S 2C3, Canada
CCC 80th Anniversary Campaign photos with restricted use courtesy of CCC Collection, LWF/AlbinHillert, WCC/AlbinHillert