The Waldheim Missions Conference
originated in 1953 from leadership provided by Oswald J Smith, hymn writer and missions promoting pastor at People Church in Toronto. Its first Board of Directors were business persons from the Saskatchewan Valley area north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In the previous decade a Christian Revival had swept through the area with many youth pursuing post-secondary education and wishing to spread the Good News to peoples around the Globe. The annual attendees represent many dozens of current and former global cross cultural workers and several hundred people interested in missions from a great variety of churches. It has become one of the longest continuously operating annual meeting organization of its kind in North America.