EMS CANADA 2026 REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Theme: "Theological Anthropology for Missional Engagement"
Date: Friday, April 10, 2026
The EMS Canada Regional Conference in April is your opportunity to contribute to critical missiological conversations rooted in Canadian contexts and geared toward global impact.
This year’s theme “Theological Anthropology for Missional Engagement” is central to missiological reflection and practice, since acts of gospel witness, service, and cultural engagement all rest on assumptions about human identity, dignity, and destiny. In a rapidly changing world—marked by shifting views of spirituality, ethnicity, gender, technology, and ecology—the church must embrace a biblically faithful and missionally engaged understanding of the imago Dei.
At the heart of this year’s theme is the exploration of Imago Dei in missional engagement—how human dignity, human rights, and gospel witness flow from being created in God’s image. This perspective grounds reflection on the meaning of being human and how the imago Dei shapes evangelism, discipleship, community, and global mission
Together we will ask:
“How do theological anthropology and Christian responses to debates about personhood and identity inform the theory and practice of mission?”
Participants are encouraged to frame their papers through one or more of the following areas of engagement, known as the Four As Framework:
- Academy – theological and educational institutions
- Assembly – local church communities and denominational life
- Agency – missions organizations and networks
- Agora – marketplace, workplace and public life
2026 SUB-THEMES
Submissions may approach the theme through theological, cultural, or practical lenses. The following sub-themes offer possible entry points for engagement:
- A. Humanity and the Image of God
- B. Embodiment, Relationship, and Culture
- C. Creation, Technology, and Human Flourishing
- D. Language, Translation, and Public Witness
Locations
In-Person:
- Alberta (AB): The King’s University, Edmonton
- British Columbia (BC): Trinity Western University, Langley
- Manitoba (MB): Steinbach Bible College, Steinbach
- Ontario (ON): Tyndale University, Toronto
If you cannot attend in person, join us online for live sessions and discussions.
Narry F. Santos, PhD
nsantos@tyndale.ca
Assistant Professor of Christian Ministry and Intercultural Leadership at Tyndale University
The purpose of the Canada Region of the Evangelical Missiological Society (EMS) is to provide a forum once a year for Canadian missiologists, students, pastors and practitioners to engage each other around relevant topics in global missions, and contribute a Canadian voice to the North America and Global conversation. This is motivated by a felt need for “dialogue, fellowship, and cooperation among evangelicals devoted to researching, publishing and instructing in areas related to the mission of the Church.
2026 EMS Canada Plenary Keynote Speakers & Response
David Guretzki
David Guretzki is president/CEO and resident theologian at the EFC, a position he’s held since January 2023. He served as its executive vice-president and resident theologian from 2017 to 2023 and on its board of directors from 2008 to 2017.
From 1993 to 2017 he worked at Briercrest College and Seminary in Caronport, Sask., as professor of theology, church and public life. He currently serves on the international council of the World Evangelical Alliance, on the board of Christian Higher Education Canada, and as an adjunct professor at several seminaries.
He earned a PhD in Western Christian thought from McGill University and undergraduate and graduate degrees from Briercrest College and Seminary, as well as a graduate diploma in bioethics from Saint Paul University (Ottawa).
David has published three books and many articles, reviews and book chapters. His teaching and research included the theology of forgiveness and reconciliation, the Trinity, the Church, marriage and illness, Karl Barth, human dignity, and conscience. Since 2016 he has written and taught on the theology and ethics of euthanasia and assisted suicide (known as medical assistance in dying or MAiD in Canada). He writes the award-winning regular column Cross Connections for the EFC’s magazine Faith Today.
David has regularly preached and taught in various church contexts across Canada. He is married to Maureen and together they have three adult children. He enjoys spending time with Maureen, astrophotography, amateur radio, and reading.
Response to David: TBC (AB)
Victor Egzibo
Rev. Dr. Victor I. Ezigbo is Wycliffe College’s first Professor of World Christianity and Intercultural Ministry, a post he took up on January 1, 2025. Dr Ezigbo has also been granted full graduate status by the Toronto School of Theology which means that he will be able to supervise PhD students.
Dr. Ezigbo comes to Wycliffe from Bethel University in St Paul, Minnesota, where he has been Professor of Theology since 2008. After receiving his BA from ECWA Theological Seminary in Igbaja, Nigeria, he studied at Wheaton College and received his MA in 2002. In 2005, he obtained an MTh at the University of Edinburgh, and was awarded a PhD from there in 2008. In 2014, he was Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh, and in 2022, he was Visiting Research Fellow at Yale Divinity School.
He is the author of Re-imagining African Christologies: Conversing with the Interpretations and Appropriations of Jesus Christ in Contemporary African Christianity (2010); Introducing Christian Theologies: Voices from Global Christian Communities (two volumes, 2013 and 2015); and The Art of Contextual Theology: Doing Theology in the Era of World Christianity (2021). His book, Christology and the Enactment of Jesus Christ’s Presence, is expected to be published next year by Cambridge University Press.
His wife is a nurse and they have two children.
Response to Victor: TBA
Shari Russell
Dr. Shari Russell is treaty status Saulteaux (Anishinaabe) from Yellow Quill First Nation in Saskatchewan.
As a young child she and two of her siblings were removed from their home on the reserve during the Sixties Scoop. Shari was reunited with her family in 2002 embarking a journey of reclaiming her culture and traditions.
As an ordained Officer in The Salvation Army, Shari serves as the Territorial Indigenous Ministries Consultant and has been actively involved in Indigenous ministry since 2004. The Salvation Army has seconded her to NAIITS as part of their denominational commitment to reconciliation. Shari has been part of the NAIITS community since 2002 and has served as Chair of the Board for Indigenous Pathways.
She is married to Robert and they have three adult sons: Charles, Gavin and Brannon who bring much joy and delight to their lives.
Response to Shari: TBA
This multi-provincial gathering offers opportunities for dialogue, collaboration, and learning. It provides a platform for participants to shape the Church’s engagement in an ever-changing world. Breakout sessions, led by preliminary paper authors, will delve into practical and academic insights, fostering meaningful discussions.
ON Venue (Tyndale University)
AB Venue (The King’s University)
BC Venue (Trinity Western University / TEDS)
MB Venue (Steinbach College)
Sign Up Now!
To avail of membership benefits (e.g., EMS Canada regional conference and EMS national conference discounts, ebook copy of the EMS annual compendium), join as EMS Canada member here (in US$):
For questions, or to volunteer in supporting the conference, please contact Dr. Narry Santos, EMS Regional Vice President for Canada Region: nsantos@tyndale.ca
2026 Partners
Call for Papers
Submissions Are Now Open!
Submissions should address how the Church engages dynamically across one or more of the Four As:
- Academy: Theological and Educational Sectors
- Assembly: Local Church Communities
- Agency: Missions Organizations and Networks
- Agora: Marketplace, Workplace and Public Spaces
The title and 200-300-word proposal deadline is January 9, 2026, and for those approved, presentation papers of (at least) 2,000 words are due by March 27, 2026, for presentation at the April 10, 2026 Canada Regional Conference.
Selected presenters may later be invited to expand their paper into a full-length submission for the EMS Annual National Conference in October in Dallas, TX and online.
For detailed guidelines and submission instructions, read the full Call for Papers here.