Collaboration in Quebec

The new think tank Station M is evidence of increasingly successful partnering among francophone evangelical churches

Last October 60 ministry leaders from different denominations gathered in Montreal for a collaborative session. The day-long event included a tradeshow format where participants attended three presentations on the biblical rationale for multiplication of disciples, churches and leaders; a case for change with demographics and statistics on evangelical impact in Montreal; and success stories to help put a face on those numbers. In smaller groups leaders discussed their impressions and learnings based on their ministry experience. This is the first edition of what will be a yearly event. 

Jean-Christophe Jasmin leads a wing of the sponsoring think tank Station M related to faith in the public square. He sees Station M as the orchestra leader and the yearly conference as a metronome; one sets the pace, and the other keeps the beat. Station M invites the participation of all stakeholders and aims to be a flexible ecosystem. 

“The smaller groups work on more specific problems regarding the gospel in Quebec,” which, Jasmin explains, act like labs to gather intelligence that benefits the whole group. During October’s session, for example, among the data from these discussions was a significant shift in attitude toward the gospel among those 30 and under, who are now more receptive and curious.

Though the think tank is new, this collaboration has been ongoing for several years. Station M is the latest initiative of the Réseau évangélique du Québec, a francophone collective of 12 denominations and 10 parachurch organizations serving evangelical churches in Quebec. They created Station M to organize and help maximize the interdenominational cooperation that has existed for decades. 

Their conviction to foster deeper relationships between denominations was born out of strife and rivalry, an origin story that eventually became one of redemption and collaboration. Quebec’s complex history with faith goes back to France’s policy forbidding French Protestants from settling in New France, making them outsiders to the Catholic church. Many assimilated into the English-speaking Protestant population. In the absence of a French-speaking Protestant church or clergy, Quebec was largely without an evangelical church for francophones.

The Quiet Revolution of the 1960s marked a cultural shift with a broad popular detachment from the Catholic church in Quebec. A spiritual thirst ensured during the period that followed, known as the Great Awakening (1972–1982). Evangelical churches grew in large numbers, and evangelical movements from the U.S. and English-speaking Canada established churches and organizations in Quebec. Eventually, denominational divides in the English-speaking world became local, and a spirit of competition developed. They learned to work independently until self-reliance led to repentance. 

Ending distrust

In 2008 an evangelistic ministry invited different denominations to prepare a series of events for Quebec City’s 400th anniversary. Used to working in silos, there was a distrust among the leaders of the denominations. Guy Bourassa, executive director of the Brethren, remembers it well. “We each thought, ‘We’re right, we have the truth. They’re wrong and they don’t know the truth!’ ” As friction grew, so did frankness. The tension reached its apex when the leaders were told to “work things out” and locked in a room for three hours to figure out how. 

Sixteen years later, the emotions remain palpable in Bourassa’s voice. He recalls how the experience revealed his own heart to him. “I said I loved Jesus, yet I despised His Church,” referring to those outside of his denomination. He described the scene of tears and apologies. “We were each hit with a realization. The others loved God as much as we did and were as holy as we were.” Changed hearts would change things moving forward.

Repentance led to reconciliation, and reconciliation made the soil fertile for new seed. The leaders decided to meet regularly to pray together. It was through that time of restoration that the idea of an evangelical network for francophone Quebeckers blossomed. The Réseau évangélique du Québec began to take shape as they continued praying. 

In 2010 they held the first roundtable. It brought clarity of purpose. Louis Bourque, executive director of the Association of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Quebec, repented when he realized secondary things with primary importance hinder collaboration. “Isolation isn’t good, you need friends who may not believe in all the same things, but who believe in the same Lord; that we are brothers and sisters.” Their compass was set. To reach Quebeckers with the gospel they were going to have to work together.

To that end, in 2013 they signed a code of conduct for interdenominational relations. The historic agreement helped to dispel suspicion between the denominations and cultivate trust and cooperation. In 2021 the Réseau évangélique du Québec became incorporated, and in 2023 a general assembly voted on an organizational structure encompassing the presidency, internal and external affairs. The current membership of 12 denominations and 10 parachurch organizations believe more members will soon join.

Engaging with broader social issues

While the internal component helps these communities of believers link arms, the external focus of the association is to build a bridge of understanding with the outside – a need that became urgent during the pandemic, when Bourque was invited to join an interreligious council. The group, including Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals, Muslims, Jews and Mormons among others, established regular dialogue with the government to advocate for their places of worship. Governmental communication subsided with the end of the pandemic. However, when the need for clarity and dialogue resurfaced around Quebec’s Bill 21 legislation limiting religious expression, the Réseau évangélique du Québec took action. 

This is the second year the Réseau évangélique du Québec has led the council, known in French as the Table interreligieuse de concertation du Québec. Louis Bourque is concerned “that for many people, secularism means the disappearance from the public landscape of any religious organization.” The Réseau évangélique du Québec is committed to helping correct that definition for the sake of fair treatment of religious believers in general and francophone Protestants in particular.

Jean-Christophe Jasmin, executive director of external affairs, leads three areas to help French-speaking Evangelicals in Quebec use their voice: media, public affairs and missiology. The first two aim to correct ignorant perceptions and invite fair coverage of Evangelicals so that the media and society at large can have an accurate view of who they are.

The missiology aspect is embodied in the think tank Station M, connecting Evangelicals in Quebec to share best practices, challenges and resources. Practically speaking, this collaboration makes the network cost-effective. More profoundly, it makes working together a sheer joy, affirms Jasmin. 

“The question is not, ‘Who will I work for?’ But ‘How can we reach this goal?’ ” The goal that fuels all the initiatives of the Réseau évangélique du Québec is that more Quebeckers may be reached with the gospel. The “M” in Station M stands for missiology and Montreal. It also acts as a reminder in French, since the letter M sounds like “aime” – the imperative of the verb to love, echoing the Great Commandment to love God and your neighbour. This is the heartbeat of the Réseau évangélique du Québec.

Paola Barrera is a writer born in Venezuela, educated between Europe and the U.S., and now a Canadian living in Montreal through the gift of immigration. Her work focuses on how faith and theology inform everyday life. Find more of her work at paolabarrera.com.