This was the organ of the late New Connexion Methodist Conference. The first periodical publication of this this branch of Canadian Methodism was the Christian Messenger, begun in 1844 as a monthly, and in 1847 issued as a weekly, under the editorial management of the Rev. Thomas T. Howard, who continued to occupy that position until 1850 when it was discontinued from lack of support.

In 1854 the Rev. Joseph H. Robinson began the publication of the Evangelical Witness, which by special resolution of the Conference of that year, was recognized as the "organ of the Connexion."

For the first three years, or until 1857, this paper was issued monthly, but the Conference of 1857 ordered that henceforth it should be published semi-monthly. At the Conference of 1858, it was ordered that, comencingwith the 1st. Jan, 1859, it should be published weekly.

In 1874, on the consummation of the Union, the Evangelical Witness was merged in the Christian Guardian under the double name of the Christian Guardian and Evangelical Witness.

The following have been its editors from 1854 to 1874:

1854-1871 Joseph Hiram Robinson
1871-1872 William Cocker, D.D.
1872-1874 David Savage