A Young Visionary Pastor
EHC was founded in 1946 in Prince Albert Saskatchewan by Jack McAlister, a young visionary pastor of only 22 years of age.
God ignited in him a passion for lost people and he determined to communicate the message of the Gospel to everyone possible, everywhere possible.
Jack saw the multitudes and was concerned for lost humanity his whole life long.
From small beginnings, the steady pursuit of this God-given vision established EHC on a path that has lead thousands upon thousands of Christians to the homes of literally billions of people of all ages in many cultures.
A Strategy to Reach People Home by Home In Every Nation
A methodology called The Every Home Strategy was born. Its purpose was simple: to go to every place where people live—a village, a city, a solitary hut on a mountain side, a prison cell, a hospital bedroom—in nation after nation and present a printed gospel message to as many people as possible.
The messengers, able to speak the language and relate naturally to their own culture, would share the message of Christ’s Gospel with everyone willing to listen.
Exponential Growth
Known for many years as World Literature Crusade (WLC), EHC has grown exponentially over more than seven decades. Today, a global workforce of several thousand coworkers and about 40,000 volunteers, visit more than 200,000 homes every day.
Millions Enlisted to Pray
Over the decades of its history, EHC has led every home outreaches in more than 200 nations and responded to over 201 million people who have contacted our offices asking to know more about Jesus.
A key factor contributing to the growing impact of EHC is a strong prayer mobilization initiative that has helped Christians pray for lost people in every corner of the world. Over the decades, millions of hours of prayer have been poured out for the world.
EHC was launched on the heels of WWII. The world was in shambles and millions of lives were shattered. People were numbed by the pain of horrific loss, poverty, fear and anger. But, through eyes of the Lord, this young pastor saw a waiting harvest.
Jack started a radio ministry and called it “Tract Club of the Air”. With passion and conviction, he rallied his listeners to join him in providing gospel literature to Christian believers in Canada and overseas who would then share these messages with others. He was convinced that the printed page could bring transformation in every society and that it was the surest way to give people a reasonable opportunity to know who Jesus is and what He accomplished for humanity. He also believed that the primary messengers should be indigenous Christians. These convictions led to a pivotal strategy.
Every Home Strategy Starts in Japan
In 1953, Jack McAlister and a fellow visionary were handing out printed gospel messages in a Tokyo train station, but for every person they reached, 10 people walked by them.
That night, they prayed over maps of Tokyo and Japan asking, “How can we reach everybody and have a measurable sense of what has been accomplished?”
The vision was given to them: take the Gospel to every home. Take a map and divide the city of Tokyo in a strategic way. Find people willing to go in every prefecture, to every home.