Emerging Spirit @ The United Church of Canada Emerging Spirit @ The United Church of Canada

Although its worshipping communities are small and it's hardly a household name, few churches have been as influential in the past half-century as Church of the Saviour in Washington, D.C. Through the years, thousands of leaders from a wide variety of churches have come through Church of the Saviour's doors to be inspired, trained, and transformed for innovative ministry back in their own context, including visitors from The United Church of Canada.

With ministries based in some of the poorest neighbourhoods in Washington, Church of the Saviour was an early (if mostly unrecognized) leader in the "missional" church movement, focusing on local social justice initiatives as the living expression of their faith. Founders Gordon Cosby, Mary Cosby, the late Elizabeth O'Connor, among others, challenged church members to respond to God's call in ways that were both inward (prayer, Bible study, worship) and outward (hands-on participation in social justice ministry), transcending the liberal / conservative characterizations that too often polarize North American religious life.