Baptist Union of Western Canada
| Canadian Baptists of Western Canada | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Evangelicalism |
| Theology | Baptism |
| Region | Western Canada |
| Headquarters | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Origin | 1860 Manitoba |
| Congregations | 175 |
| Members | 20,000 |
| Official website | cbwc |
The Canadian Baptists of Western Canada, formerly the Baptist Union of Western Canada, is a moderate Christian denomination with churches in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan,Manitoba, Yukon Territories and the Northwest Territories. The group's theological positions are evangelical. Headquarters is in Calgary, Alberta. The union is one of four components of Canadian Baptist Ministries.
Baptists in western Canada began in Manitoba in the 1860s, organizing formally in 1884 with the establishment of the Baptist Convention of Manitoba and the Northwest. In 1897, British Columbian Baptists organized their own Convention. These Conventions, and others, united to form the Baptist Convention of Western Canada in 1907, representing 201 churches and 11,000 congregants. The name was changed to the Baptist Union of Western Canada (BUWC) in 1909, by which it was known until 2007. In 1944, the BUWC joined with the United Baptist Convention of the Maritimes and the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec to form the Baptist Federation of Canada (BFC) as a national coordinating body. It was joined by l'Union d'Eglises Baptistes Francaises au Canada in 1970. These four bodies remained federated until 1995 when the federation, by now renamed Canadian Baptist Federation (CBF), merged with Canadian Baptist Ministries, which now functions as the shared outreach arm of all four associations.
In 2007, the BUWC changed its name to the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada to better reflect its national identity and western focus.
Key figures in CBWC history include: Tommy Douglas, a Baptist Minister in Weyburn Saskatchewan and healthcare reforming politician, William Aberhart (Bible Bill), an Albertan radio personality and Albertan Premier. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker was also a Canadian Baptist.
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