Baptists arrived in what would become Canada in the mid-eighteenth century, and from those early arrivals Baptists from a wide variety of backgrounds planted churches in every region of the vast nation. This book traces that history of Baptists in Canada, and provides historical antecedents and theological rationales for their church polity. Written in a generous spirit, it recognizes what Baptists share with other Christian communities and how they differ among themselves on some matters. It places Baptists in Canada in the larger historical and global context, and concludes with commentary on opportunities and challenges ahead.

Every three years since 1997, an International Conference on Baptist Studies has been held--each conference being in a different country. The theme in 2006, when the conference was held in Nova Scotia, was Baptists and Mission. This is a theme that has been at the heart of Baptist life. Papers examined home and foreign mission, evangelicalism, and social concern. This volume draws together a range of the papers that were delivered. This volume has studies of significant Baptist figures such as Hanserd Knollys, Andrew Fuller, and Earl Merrick. Home mission in a number of settings in North America and Europe is examined. The range of places covered in the papers on overseas mission is considerable, including Bolivia, Mexico, India, Ivory Coast, and Brazil. All of these studies, by historians drawn from many different contexts, add new insights in this crucial area of Baptist studies.