EMI?

EMI is a short name for Ekklesia Ministries International.

EMI started in Canada as a local, volunteer, Christian, social justice mission movement helping inner-city and Indigenous communities.

Later, EMI operated regionally in Canada, the USA, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Cambodia, and the Philippines, as a mission sending agency for Asian-North American volunteer missionaries. Individual mission projects of EMI have been supported by the prayers and financial donations of friends and churches.

URBAN MINISTRIES
EMI started as an urban mission movement by a group of student volunteers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1994. Headed by Joe Elkerton of Toronto City Mission, and David Han, then lead pastor of New Hope Fellowship, a university student group served hot breakfast to the homeless people at a rented kitchen of an Anglican church in downtown Toronto. Later, some volunteers from Toronto moved to western Canada for their work after graduation and the Vancouver chapter of Saturday Breakfast Club started. The movement evolved and began to engage in social justice ministries for the urban poor and AIDS population in the cities. After years of consistent service, EMI benchmarked urban programs like ‘Saturday Breakfast Club,’ ‘Sandwich Runs,’ and ‘Out of the Cold.’ These urban missions are being implemented by churches and volunteer groups in North American cities.

Photo: City Volunteers and Directors >>>>>>>>

INDIGENOUS MISSIONS
EMI started visits to Indigenous communities in Western Canada with no certain missional terms but had the feeling of solidarity as people. It started with a group of young American-Asians from Southern California, in 1996, led by Rev Peter Min, to visit Ahousaht, a coastal village of the Nuu-chah-nulth people. At our first visit, we found chemistry with Indigenous youth.

Photo: West Coast Ministries, 1996-2018 >>>>>>>>>>

Kelsmaht Youth Camp

The chemistry we found during the first visit prompted us to continue in the mission of youth. EMI collaborated with the Ahousaht Holistic Centre, a traditional healing centre, to host a summer youth camp at Kelthmath Island, BC from 1997 to 2007.

Photo Album: Teen Camp, 1998-2007>>>>>>>>>>

SCHOOL OF DISCIPLESHIP (SOD)
To meet the needs of long terms mission workers, EMI ran a mission training school (SOD) to prepare missionaries to work in Canada. People from South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Canada, and the US have attended the school.

SOD Photos>>>>>>>>>

SENDING AGENCY
EMI inadvertently became a mission sending agency for Asian-American missionaries. Countries that our missionaries served and missionaries who participated are:

• Hokkaido JAPAN – Abraham Lee (1993) • Ulaanbaatar MONGOLIA – Yun Chung (1995) • The Philippines – John and Hannah Kim (1996) • Seoul KOREA – Paul Kwang-sup Lee (1995) • Central Americas – Dave Choi (2002) • Jongho Cha – Vancouver, BC (2010) • Jim Ogle – Tacoma, WA (2003) • Simon Lee – Hanoi, Vietnam • John and Linda Hensz – Indigenous mission (2007) • Paul and Gloria Lee – Indigenous ministries (2005) • David Choi – Managua, Nicaragua, John Kwangsup Lee (Pangpangga, Philippines) and more.

Photo: Associates and Partners >>>>>>>>>>