Between 1885 and 1925, the Presbyterian Church in Canada grew to become the largest church on the Prairies. Western Challenge documents that rise. Exploring the church’s mission to the British settlers as well as its mission to the Native peoples and the non- Anglo-Saxon immigrants, this study examines how the church transformed itself and its ministry models to meet the challenges of the rapidly growing rural and urban populations of the Prairies. Special attention is paid to the church’s experience in the Klondike and Near North prior to 1925. Western Challenge concludes by suggesting that the present-day Presbyterian Church is the true heir of this mission vision.
News & Reviews
“Western Challenge offers a noteworthy glimpse into prairie history, and a fine account of one church’s western experience. It provides a context for the many conversations Canadians–whether church members or not–need to have with their past and its legacy.” —Saskatchewan History
“… based on solid archival research and probes the meaning of ‘mission’ and the functions of the Christian church in new (re)settlement frontiers.” —The Beaver
About the Author
Peter Bush, presently a Presbyterian minister in Fergus, Ontario, served St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Flin Flon, Manitoba, for seven years. Holding Master’s degrees in both history and theology, he has published numerous articles on Canadian church history and is the editor of Presbyterian History.
Also Available at
