One hundred years ago, the AGC was born amid theological liberalism, drift, and cultural attacks sweeping our country. Godly men and women, often under great sacrifices, took up the challenge to remain focused on and committed to the authority of the Word of God. They formed what would become the Associated Gospel Churches. As we enter 2025, our centennial year, it would be beneficial to reflect on those early pioneers to get a better perspective for moving forward. A new year often brings many new challenges, but also new desires and new opportunities to gain perspective, trust the Lord, and do better at many things.

We will always face challenges because we live in a fallen world that is moving increasingly further from a biblical worldview and a culture that grows more distant from the Gospel each day. Missiologists and those who study church culture would state that we have moved from being a Christian nation (whatever that looked like) to a post-Christian nation and now have come to a point of being a pre-Christian nation where even the basic understanding of the Gospel message is unknown by the great majority. Studies state that between 300-400 churches close each year in Canada. Pastoral burnout, anxiety, and stress-related attrition are on the rise among those in vocational ministry.

Not much has changed in 100 years! Today, we face even greater challenges to our faith, the authority of the Word of God, and a changing culture where we find ourselves more and more on the margins. However, the good news is that we have a great opportunity, as did those early AGC pioneers in the 1920s, to reach out, uncircle the wagons, and engage our communities with the Gospel's good news. In his book “We’ve Lost, What Now? – Practical Counsel from the book of Daniel” author Wayne Baxter writes, “We must never allow our crisis to determine our theology. Rather, our theology – that God is infinitely great – must determine how we can live wisely in the midst of difficult circumstances” (p. 83). That Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations is still our clarion call, born out of that Great Commandment to love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might (Matt 28:19). The challenges will be great as we enter our centennial year, but our God is greater!

Let us resolve to be and to act as the apostle Peter encourages us in 1 Peter 3:15; “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” As we begin 2025, let us take a look back over the past 100 years to see God's provision, grace, and help in times of need throughout the life of our association. May that encourage and propel us forward to meet the new challenges with gentleness and respect, resulting in many being added to the kingdom this year!

I look forward to seeing many of you at our AGC National Conference Ottawa 2025 this coming May. Mark your calendars as we celebrate the past and move boldly into the future.

Rev. Bill Allan, AGC President