CBMC - Christian Business Ministries Canada

History & Global View

“If anyone is entitled to be credited as ‘Father of CBMC’, attorney Fischer once said, “it is AJ Leaman. He was the humble pastor of a small Mennonite church on Chicago’s west side.” From 1914 to 1930 he had a burden for businessmen to know Christ.

Pastor Leaman called a meeting of the leaders of several groups operating in the city and Chicago Christian Business Men’s Committee of five was organized.

Organized in 1930, the Christian Business Men’s Committee of Chicago at first stood alone in its active witness. But its increasing fruitfulness eventually sowed the seed for expansion. Original members of the committee were AJ Leaman, CB Hedstrom, JS Lincoln, Frank W. Sheriff and Ernest Wadsworth of the Great Commission Prayer League.

By 1938 five such committees had been formed, and a general conference met in Chicago at the LaSalle Hotel. One hundred and fifty members attended this first of the annual CBMCI conventions.

As always, Canadians played an extremely vital part in the overall program of CBMCI. Annually, some 500 or more Christian businessmen from the provinces met at Canadian Keswick for the Eastern Canada Regional Conference...truly a glorious time of fellowship and blessing.

In Toronto a CBMC booth at the Canadian National Exhibition brought sixty-four commitments to Christ as business and professional men talked with interested passersby. Some eighty thousand Gospel tracts went out from the booth.

In 1944, as Salvation Army officer, major Cecil Zarfas, attended the Toronto convention and later described his experiences there. He called the convention a miracle – the miracle of seeing and hearing men of various denominations, of diverse businesses and professions, unite in proclaiming a common faith in God through Jesus Christ.

The first Canadian to serve as chairman of Christian Business Men’s Committee International was Donald F. McKechnie, an Ottawa, Ontario accounting executive who served faithfully and zealously in 1958.

“God has many methods and men to accomplish His purposes in the world. Eternity alone will reveal the great number of souls in Glory because faithful Christian laymen are diligent in their businesses, fervent in spirit and instant in serving the Lord.”

Charles E. Fuller, Pasadena, California.

For many years David Redekopp, an Electrical Contractor for Winnipeg, served as Executive Director in Canada. Under his leadership 50 committees were formed across Canada. He also gave birth to CBMC in South Africa.

The only other Executive Director was Marvin Wall, who served faithfully from the late 1970s until 1994. As many as 85 committees were reported to be active during his tenure. The current Executive Director, Gerry Organ, was appointed in the summer of 1994 at which time the head offices was moved from Winnipeg to Markham, Ontario. David Abday joined soon after to begin our western office in Calgary, Alberta.