Go North, Young Man!

by Danny Elliott

While walking the streets of Quebec City, Canada, I am constantly reminded that I am out of place. On the outside, I may look (and try to speak) like the Quebecois, but on the inside I feel like the quintessential tourist wearing a straw hat, Hawaiian shirt, Bermuda shorts, black socks up to the knees, and sandals. Everything on the inside screams, “I’m not from around here!”

Does this mean I am constantly living with some sort of regret or fear? Absolutely not! The setting in which God has placed my family and me is not just a challenge but an adventure as well.

In Quebec, the official language is French. How can one province in Canada officially pass a law in which French is the only official language? The answer is more complicated than space will allow. To put it simply, it is a carry-over from the original French settlers. When England won the French and Indian War in the 1750s, English became the dominant language in Canada and America. Wanting to preserve their French heritage and language, Quebec passed a law that makes French official on every level.

Photo: Montreal, Quebec, skyline (istockphoto.com)

As soon as you cross the border into Quebec, you are in a different world, including the French heritage of Catholicism. Many claim to be Roman Catholic, but for most, it is just a cultural heritage. The predominant mindset in Quebec City is secular humanism. As a matter of fact, less than one-half of one percent claims evangelical Christianity in Quebec City. With a population of nearly 800,000, the numbers are small and the needs are great.

This is the field to which God has called us to plant a Free Will Baptist church. How did we get here? The short answer is simple; we drove. The long answer is not as simple. While pastoring Ruth’s Chapel FWB Church in New Bern, North Carolina, I came across some startling information about Quebec. Missiologists consider the Quebecois to be the most unreached people group in North America. Churches are few and far between. In Quebec City, the evangelical Christian presence is almost non-existent. After encountering this information, God began to burden our hearts for this spiritually needy place. Our prayers sounded something like,

“Lord, you know how needy Quebec is. Will you send someone to take the gospel to them?” Guess what? God said, “Okay, I will. You’re it!” God was saying just what the title of this article says: “Go north, young man!”

Even though we are not yet in the position to begin church planting efforts, our hearts burn more and more for the Quebecois. We are still in language training. Since French is the official language, it is taken very seriously. They appreciate the fact that we attempt French everywhere we go. They, however, appreciate proficiency in the language even more, and proficiency takes time.

In the meantime, we look constantly for opportunities to be His light. We are truly blessed that God has sent us on this adventure. Perhaps God has placed a burden in your heart for the Quebecois. Many have asked what we need. We need your prayers more than anything.

Specifically, we ask you to pray that our entire family would have a mind and mouth for the French language so we can share the gospel with those who need so desperately to hear of the hope in Christ. We need others to answer God’s call to join us in Quebec. Jesus said in Luke 10:2, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Perhaps God is telling you, “Go north, young man. Go north!”

About the Writer: Danny Elliot and his family are preparing to plant a church in Quebec City, Canada. Learn more about their work, and how you can get involved at www.homemissions.net.