Our Story
Learn about our Beginnings.
How did we end up in Bells Corners?
How did we get Our Name?
How did we adopt our vision?
Our community Now.

Beginning

1989

The church began in 1989 as a church-planting project of the Ottawa Chinese Alliance Church (OCAC) with the specific goal of ministering to the spiritual needs of the Cantonese-speaking population residing in the western part of the city. Seven families from OCAC made the commitment to help get this church plant — then known as Kanata Chinese Alliance Church — up and running with the first services held in the afternoon at Kanata Pentecostal Church.

1991

By 1991, the congregation steadily grew to about one hundred regular attendees and held weekly fellowship meetings for adults and for children. In response to the difficultly of attending afternoon services, the church began looking for a space to switch to a morning service. In September of 1991, the church starting holding services at 10:30 AM at Castlefrank Elementary School.

1994

By 1994, it became apparent to begin a formal ministry in English to service Canadian-born children of those in the church and in the area. In the summer of 1994, services began to be held in English once a month, which eventually would become what is the English Service. Within the end of that same year, the church began prayerfully looking for a permanent space to meet and accommodate the growing community.

Move to Bells Corners

The timeline to search for and move into a new location — established to be three years — was unexpectedly expedited by the Provincial government’s introduction of all-day kindergarten classes. Castlefrank Elementary School would need be renovated and the church would need to find a new location by the summer of 1995.

1995

Through the Lord’s providence, a community church in Bells Corners graciously offered their second floor sanctuary for that period of time. At the end of that summer, the offer to rent a space in the upper floor became an offer to purchase the entire property. At an amount nothing short of providential, the congregation was able to purchase and settle to a permanent building in Bells Corners; the current building.

New Name

1996

At the dedication of the new property, the church decided to drop the name Kanata Chinese Alliance church and adopted a new name, Emmanuel Alliance Church of Ottawa (Emmanuel Alliance), that reflected the church-wide vision to be a God-centered faith community for all peoples. Within the same year, in response to an increase in Mandarin-speaking people in the Ottawa region, a Mandarin ministry was established.

1998

In October of 1998, Emmanuel Alliance began a youth ministry for the large number young people in the congregation.

Church for All Peoples

2000

At the turn of the Millennium, the church put forth its vision in writing. Emmanuel Alliance was to be: “a vibrant church in the city of Ottawa bringing transformation to the people of different cultures and leading them to be devoted followers of Christ.”

2009

In 2009, the church opened the doors to the new sanctuary. Dedicated to the glory of God, the larger space was to better accomodate growing needs and numbers.

Present

The church continually aims to be a place of welcome for all. The church actively supports missionary and development work here in Ottawa and around the world, partnering with local and global organizations such food banks, shelters, oversea churches in demonstrating the love and justice of God.

The community meets regularly in small groups where we share in our lives, growth in our faith, and foster hospitality towards one another. The church meets weekly to worship in the hearing of the Word, in music, and in prayer.

office@eaco.ca | 613-820-6774 | 4 Thorncliff Place, Nepean, K2H 5L2