Emmanuel Christian Community (ECC) was born in 1980 as a result of a group of 30 or so people at Marineview Chapel, a Christian Brethren congregation, who were meeting regularly in three house (cell) groups in Richmond and were commissioned by Marineview to start their own new church in Richmond.
The name Emmanuel Christian Community was intentionally chosen; the promise of “God With Us” resonated with this group of people walking by faith into a new ministry adventure.
The early years at ECC were filled with many of the needed activities to establish the church. The Brethren tradition of placing a high value on the priesthood of all believers meant that most everybody had a role in the life of the church. In the early years, ECC functioned like a very large house group in many ways. Most of the congregation was made up of young families who shared many things in common, worshipping together, studying together, praying together, playing together, eating together and caring for each other’s children.
This ethos of everybody having a role has continued to be part of ECC’s DNA as it has grown to be a broader and more diverse non-denominational Christian church.
A particular ministry that has impacted ECC since its inception is Daybreak Point Bible Camp commonly referred to as Anvil. (The camp is on Anvil Island in Howe Sound). Many ECCers have gone to Anvil as campers since their childhood and later as volunteers. This connection has been a strong one all throughout ECC’s history to this very day.
In the 1990s, a community outreach ministry of ECC which flourished was the Good Shepherd drop-in centre. This ministry assisted young families with child care and meaningful support and was a vital part of ECC’s mission until the mid 2010s.
In the early 2000s, a key moment for ECC was moving into a building. Up to this point, ECC met in different schools and churches. However, at the turn of the century, the Lord performed a miracle. Bethany Church on No. 1 Road in Steveston, where the Good Shepherd Drop-in Centre was situated, had decided to close. Unexpectedly, their elders approached ECC and said that the Lord had told them in prayer to give the building and property to ECC for only $1.00. They felt that God had a ministry for ECC in Steveston. Three weeks later in Sept. of 2001, ECC had received the amazing gift of a church home.
Moving into a building changed the ethos of the community to some degree. The importance of children was a key part of this and has guided many of the decisions regarding the building, which led to a building project behind the current building to create space for the Sunday School and the Good Shepherd, as well as providing office space for the staff elder/pastor and the church secretary. This emphasis on children and youth has been a core of ECC’s ministry in the 2000s and 2010s.
In the mid 2010s, ECC went through some ups and downs. Although it experienced growth in many areas, the elders chose not to renew the contract of a lead pastor in 2016. As a result, the church went through a time of hurt, questioning, disappointment, reconciliation, relief and healing. This process allowed the church to take a hard look inward to examine its strengths and weaknesses. ECC did this self-examination with the help of a transitional consultant before hiring a new lead pastor after a couple of years of transition.
With a new lead pastor and renewed sense of ECC’s core values and vision, a re-articulation a ECC’s vision statement was formed: “We desire to be a caring community that welcomes people from all walks of life to follow Jesus. We hope to be a place where everyone finds their role in partnering with the Holy Spirit, using what God gives us to serve at ECC and beyond.”
Though faces have changed, over the years, Emmanualites have continued to be actively involved in the ministries and mission of the church, whether internally (worship teams, speaking, sound board, video, garden and grounds, cleaning and repairing, meals on wheels, community gatherings, prayer, etc) or externally, such as support for and involvement in camps, and missions.
Throughout its history, certain core values and practices have remained constant, shaping and at times, testing ECC’s identity. Most notably these include:
-A strong commitment to the priesthood of all believers.
-Leadership by a plurality of elders.
-A high appreciation for the relational life of the church.
-A commitment to both the weekly celebration of the Lord's supper along with a desire to simplicity & informality in public worship
Long time ECC member Eleanor Spruston has meticulously documented the stories of our history in 2 volumes.