Canadian church attendance declines
TORONTO, ON - Startling new statistics about Canadian's church attendance confirm what Christian leaders have long feared: churches in Canada are rapidly losing their appeal for millions of Canadians seemingly uninterested in organized religion.
Data from Statistics Canada on regular attendance at religious services shows that church attendance is becoming a thing of the past for most Canadians, particularly those who are young, urban, born in Canada, divorced or separated. The data, released December 12, defined regular church attendance as going to a religious service at least once a month.
The findings are part of the 1998 General Social Survey, which asked 10,700 Canadians about a variety of social issues, including patterns of religious attendance. The survey found that 34% of Canadians aged 15 and over attend a religious service once a month, down from 41% in 1988.
Church attendance nose-dives when Canadians reach their mid-teens and continue until they enter their 30s. While 34% of youth 15 to 24 years of age attended church at least once a month in 1988, the number dropped to 24% ten years later when this group was aged 25 to 34. Conversely, more than half of older Canadians (55 and up) attend church regularly, largely unchanged since 1988.
Married couples aged 25 to 45 with young children are more likely to go to church than single people. Attendance was lowest among divorced or separated Canadians.
Immigrants, especially those from Asia, are much more likely to attend church (43%) than native-born Canadians (31%).
Not really news
The statistics don't reveal anything that Canadian church leaders don't already know and deal with every day, says Janet Somerville, general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches. "Secularism and agnosticism is so normative to mainstream Canada today," she says. "Most [Canadians] need something big to experience Christianity."
The study confirmed what Canada's largest evangelical denomination has been "coping with for over 15 years," says William Griffin, national director of public relations for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC).
Griffin says the PAOC has responded by placing a heavy emphasis on junior high, youth and young adult groups, with many of its 1,100 churches dedicating two or more staff to the needs of these groups. That emphasis on youth, the receptiveness to Pentecostalism from new Canadians and the Pentecostal style of worship has helped the PAOC deal with the trend facing many other denominations and actually see significant growth.
For Ken Bellous, executive minister of the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, the new statistics make it clear that churches must become "launching pads for a missional focus" here in Canada.
"Many churches are a fortification against anything that will harm them," says Bellous. "They're fearful of the culture. We've got to get over this."
Bellous says the trend among young people needs to be especially noted by churches. "Clearly young people don't see their world reflected within the walls of churches," he says. "We must become international churches where all people feel welcome. We need Christian academics to do research. We need experimental churches and we need to educate Christians."
While the numbers may be bleak on the surface, they could have a "wonderful side effect," adds Somerville.
"There used to be mainline churches and the 'others.' I think we're realizing that Christians are all one. This is good for ecumenism," she says. "This may also allow a new freedom and humility among Christian leaders because they know they should realize Christians need each other."
Dear Readers:
ChristianWeek relies on your generous support. please take a minute and donate to help give voice to stories that inform, encourage and inspire.
Donations of $20 or more will receive a charitable receipt.Thank you, from Christianweek.
