Medical Assistance In Dying

The CRC's Synod 2025 condemned Medical Assistance in Dying. Canada's MAID laws have evolved since Bill C-14 in 2016. A key change came with Bill C-7 in 2021, which removed the "reasonably foreseeable death" requirement, expanding MAID eligibility.

Currently, the expansion of MAID for those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness (MAID MD-SUMC) has been delayed until March 2027 due to widespread concerns. A new bill, Bill C-218, which would stop this mental-illness-only expansion altogether, is expected to begin debate in the House of Commons on December 5.

The federal government has also released a report summarizing last winter’s public consultation on whether to allow advance requests for MAiD.

Ongoing advocacy focuses on protecting healthcare workers' conscience rights, preventing MAID expansion to mature minors or through advance requests, and prioritizing accessible, comprehensive palliative care and mental health services as true responses to suffering.

Advocacy

Faith In Action

Faith in Action

Host this workshop in your church or work through it at your own pace online for effective advocacy on assisted suicide.

Trusted Partners

We know how important it is to have reliable information on justice issues. That's why we focus on collaborating with incredible partners who are specialists in these areas.

Cardus

Detailed policy briefs on proposed legislation.

Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

Advocacy, prayer, and printable options.

Worship

Prayer

A prayer for physician conscience rights. April 2021

Prayer

A brief prayer on the topic of MAiD that can be incorporated into your service. From January 2020

Prayer

A prayer and update from February 2021

Read More

CRC Banner: Silence is Not An Option

(Bill) C-7 may well be a legal reality but it remains possible to encourage and support measures that prevent the need for assisted death.

Ontario Healthcare Workers Need Conscience Protection

Dr. Stephen Vander Klippe explains the importance of conscience rights for physicians.

After Physician-Assisted Suicide Bill, Canadian Evangelicals Reassess

Christianity Today: what to do now that this legislation has passed.

Interview with a Chaplain

We spoke with chaplain Tim De Jonge about his experience on the front lines of this issue.

Physician-Assisted Suicide

Disability Concerns Director Mark Stephenson addresses this topic in this blog.

Venturing into the Shallow End

Read this blog that details the history of this legislation in Canada and the concerns of advocates.

Chaplains Discuss Medical Assistance in Dying

Resources and suggestions from chaplains for engaging with this topic.

Dig Deeper

In the 2025 Agenda for Synod there is a report from the Assisted Suicide Task Force starting on page 281.   

Sign On Letter February 2023 - Christian leaders affirm duty to care and resolve to mobilize communities

For more information on why we have engaged with this issue read more on the sanctity of life and what the CRC believes at this link.

An advocacy brief summarizes the policy issue at hand and offers specific stances and recommendations for creating good policy.  The Centre for Public Dialogue issued a brief in 2016 in response to proposed physician assisted death legislation.  

Read the brief here.

Letter to Minister of Health - June 2025