When Quebec City launched its 400^th anniversary celebrations earlier this year, long forgotten historical facts about the impact of evangelical believers on the province's extended history emerged and reinforced current evangelical efforts to spread the good news of Christ to the province. Many of the early settlers were evangelical Protestants - the Huguenots - and they brought their strong faith with them to the new world.

Rev. Claude Noel, senior pastor of the Alliance church in Sainte-Foy (Eglise ACM de Saint-Foy) says the Huguenot colonists came from all walks of life - the nobility, merchants and soldiers as well as peasants. Together they greatly influenced early Quebec history.

From 1540 to 1629, out of the eleven governors of New France, six were Huguenots. One of them, Pierre Du Gua de Monts, supervised the founding of Quebec. Samuel de Champlain's wife, Hélene Boulé, was a devout Protestant who had a great influence on her husband and family. We must also mention the 'filles du roy' (daughters of the king), young ladies, many of whom were Protestant, sent from France to accelerate the colonisation by marrying the settlers and having children.

The 400^th anniversary celebrations commemorate that forgotten past with an exhibition at the Musée des Amériques (May 6, 2008 to March 22, 2009, Musée de l'Amérique francaise, A Forgotten Presence: the Huguenots in New France).

The Catholic Church strongly opposed the Protestant presence and persecution grew as the influence of the Roman Church increased. "There was a war, not just between the English and the French, but amongst the French, between Catholics and Protestants," Rev. Noel said.

Powerful priests such as Francois de Laval (founder of Laval University) were soon involved in removing the Protestant influence (laws forbidding Protestants to gather). They suffered economic pressures, businesses were taken away and Catholic citizens were urged to boycott Protestant enterprises.

"They were kicked out of New France. English Protestants were allowed to stay - this was before Montcalm and Wolfe - but French Protestants were forced out," he explained. And this kind of persecution continued, he noted, well into the 1950's under the provincial government leadership of Premier Maurice Duplessis.

Soon the pattern that French equals Roman Catholic and English equals Protestant reflected Quebec culture; it was a pattern that lasted until the 1960?s and the 'Quiet Revolution.' That pattern, he said, still permeates Quebec even in the post-modernist society. The Roman Catholic faith is still predominant albeit, for many, as a cultural and historical reality rather than a faith reality.

Along with evangelistic efforts in recent years, evangelicals in Quebec, including the Alliance, developed specific outreach projects allied to the 400^th anniversary celebrations. More than 400,000 copies of a special edition of the Gospel of John were distributed in the Greater Quebec region. Public events were held featuring both French and English musicians and drama groups.

"For us, this was the biggest opportunity to share our faith since Expo 67," he declared. At the time of writing there had been many professions of faith as well as more than 100 other individuals who expressed interest in understanding more of the Gospel as a result of the events.

At the same time, The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Quebec is engaged in strategic planning efforts to impact Quebec society.

Where once to be French Canadian was to be Roman Catholic, Rev. Noel said, now many have drifted away from the Catholic faith. This opens doors in many individual lives as they seek answers to spiritual needs and issues.

Already the Alliance churches in the St. Lawrence District have joined forces with numerous groups and denominations, including Roman Catholic, in evangelistic efforts across the province. "We want to reach out to them, to present Christ to them, to influence them towards God?s Kingdom," Rev. Noel said. "God is asking us to shine in so many new and different plans and ways. We must be open to his leading. We want to contact them and share our faith with them. Then we'll leave it to God."

Rev. Francis Pearson, District Superintendent for St. Lawrence District, notes that churches in the district are actively seeking fresh, creative ways to impact Quebec society and deploy God?s Kingdom. "God has placed a passion in the heart of our churches to reach their milieu and be and make a difference," Rev. Pearson said. So far over thirty visionary projects have been sown, whether through church planting (traditional or cutting edge), or compassion and social justice ministries.

He added, "We want to be a sent movement of churches - sent to the masses in need of the restoring grace that Jesus brings. We long to reflect Christ's values with compassion and authenticity in all spheres of life so that the church can gain back the right to be heard and have an influence."

For this year in particular, 'Je me souviens' (I remember) is more than a phrase on a license plate. It is a remembrance of those pious Huguenots who built, at a great price, the foundation of this nation.