Difference between revisions of "Introduction"
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The movement spread rapidly thanks to the untiring efforts of its “apostle” ''par excellence'', [[John Nelson Darby]]. In England and throughout Europe, Darby built up the movement through his preaching and voluminous writings. French-speaking Switzerland <sup> </sup>was an object of his particular attention. Even today, there is to be found there a significant concentration of brethren who seek to practice the same New Testament principles. | The movement spread rapidly thanks to the untiring efforts of its “apostle” ''par excellence'', [[John Nelson Darby]]. In England and throughout Europe, Darby built up the movement through his preaching and voluminous writings. French-speaking Switzerland <sup> </sup>was an object of his particular attention. Even today, there is to be found there a significant concentration of brethren who seek to practice the same New Testament principles. | ||
| − | Canada was not neglected. Swiss and English immigrants brought the movement to these shores in the middle of the nineteenth century. Darby himself visited North America no less than six times beginning in 1862 and consecrated a good deal of his time to Canada. Thanks to his efforts, by 1878 there were more than one-hundred local New Testament assemblies of believers throughout the Dominion. Of course, as far as we know, these were all English assemblies. | + | Canada was not neglected. Swiss and English immigrants brought the movement to these shores in the middle of the nineteenth century. Darby himself visited North America no less than six times beginning in 1862 and consecrated a good deal of his time to Canada. Thanks to his efforts, by 1878 there were more than one-hundred local New Testament assemblies of believers throughout the Dominion of Canada. Of course, as far as we know, these were all English assemblies. |
==French work== | ==French work== | ||
Latest revision as of 21:38, 4 November 2020
The story of the Christian Brethren in general as well as their history in Canada must be seen in the wider context of the ebb and flow of Church history. Professor Frederick Fyvie Bruce, or F.F. Bruce as he was better known, one of the “chief men among the Brethren,” put it well when he pointed out in so many words that the history of the Church is a record of repeated departures from and returns to Scriptural principles as the only rule of faith and practice. It was at one of these low points in the flow of church history that the Brethren movement appeared.
The movement sprang from a religious phenomenon which surfaced in the first half of the nineteenth century. It was based on the principle of a literal interpretation and application of the Word of God. At a time when the institutional church - composed of believers and unbelievers alike - predominated, there grew up among some a desire to rediscover New Testament principles as to ecclesiastical organization and Christian conduct. Appearing simultaneously in different locations around the world, the movement experienced marked success, particularly in England.
The movement spread rapidly thanks to the untiring efforts of its “apostle” par excellence, John Nelson Darby. In England and throughout Europe, Darby built up the movement through his preaching and voluminous writings. French-speaking Switzerland was an object of his particular attention. Even today, there is to be found there a significant concentration of brethren who seek to practice the same New Testament principles.
Canada was not neglected. Swiss and English immigrants brought the movement to these shores in the middle of the nineteenth century. Darby himself visited North America no less than six times beginning in 1862 and consecrated a good deal of his time to Canada. Thanks to his efforts, by 1878 there were more than one-hundred local New Testament assemblies of believers throughout the Dominion of Canada. Of course, as far as we know, these were all English assemblies.
French work
A first indication of interest in work among Canada’s francophone population appears in 1864. At that time, a Mr. William Joseph Lowe from London was making plans to come to Canada in order to labour in French. However, after a meeting with Mr. Darby, he altered his plans in order to help Darby with his project to translate the entire Bible into French. The New Testament had already been completed in 1859; the Old Testament was published in 1885.
The real beginnings of the French Brethren work as it exists today, date from the arrival in Quebec in 1926 of the first full-time, English-speaking commended worker. Eighteen years later, there appeared the first mimeographed issue of an English magazine destined to report the progress of the Brethren work in French Canada.
News of Quebec is the only ongoing resource of its kind, dating from 1944 to the present and containing information of great historic value on the movement. Dr. Arthur Clare Hill of Sherbrooke was its founding editor and merits recognition for his support and encouragement of the French work by means of this periodical. As already stated, the magazine is quoted extensively in this history.
Sources
Quoted from Ebb and Flow : A History of Christian Brethren Churches in French Canada 1926-2010 by Richard E. Strout. Published by Gospel Folio Press, 2016, 303 pages. Author holds the copyright.
