The Canadian church “is not fragile,” says WayBase
WayBase releases 2022 National Church Survey Results with strong reasons for hope
WayBase has released The Next Normal, its 2022 National Church Survey Results, with better-than-expected findings. The research reveals a call to church and ministry leaders to leverage a pivotal “moment of uncertainty into one of possibility,” shares Way Base.
Based on the responses of over 2,000 Canadian Christian leaders from coast to coast, the survey provides insight into the current state of Canadian churches and ministries, how they have adapted to shifting challenges, and future implications. Despite the incredible difficulties of the last two years, the findings reveal unexpected stability, commitment to technological innovation, and an opportunity for future investment.
“Division, drifting engagement, declining income, and struggling leaders were some of the challenges that seemed to exacerbate over 2021. Yet, there are strong reasons for hope. The Church is poised to turn a moment of uncertainty into one of possibility. It has shown that it can be resilient, that it is not fragile,” states WayBase Spokesperson.
Some key findings reveal significant opportunities, for example:
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- The ‘Great Resignation’ has not impacted the church. 90% of church and ministry leaders intend to stay in their current role for the foreseeable future.
- While this commitment is commendable, the energy levels of most leaders are either moderate or low. This is a time for leaders to re-energize.
- Older leaders want to stay with their organizations. 79% of senior leaders over 60 yrs old are not planning to retire in the near future.
- While this presents stability, older leaders must be mindful that this provides fewer opportunities for younger leaders ready for senior positions. This requires investment in the leadership pipeline.
- The ‘Great Resignation’ has not impacted the church. 90% of church and ministry leaders intend to stay in their current role for the foreseeable future.
- The number of churches providing online services has quadrupled since 2020.
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- However, more than half of churches do not plan to have an online service going forward, primarily because they don’t feel they’ve found the right digital tools for engagement and evangelism. This presents an opportunity to build on the momentum of online services and explore new technology to engage people.
“As our world continues to navigate the challenges of the pandemic and our rapidly changing world, it’s clear that the church will need to adapt in order to flourish,” adds Stephen Mulder, WayBase’s Director of National Engagement. “With much change on the horizon and the increasing complexity of our world, it is essential that we strengthen the church to remain strong, vibrant, and bring renewed hope to a hurting world.”
Download the summary or sign up for the full report here.
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For media, please contact Petra Kooman at petra@grafmartin.com or 519.342.3703 ext. 106.
About the survey and City Impact Tour: WayBase, along with support from Graf-Martin Communications, and with its partners at the Canadian Council for Christian Charities, The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Wycliff College, Sphaera Research and Halo Canada, The Salvation Army, and Crandall University, conducted its survey of 2,033 leaders of Christian organizations in Canada across February and March, 2022. Although underrepresented in Quebec and Catholic respondents, it otherwise included a broad distribution of organization types in other regions and denominations.
With these survey results, WayBase is hitting the road for a City Impact Tour, an opportunity to connect with Christian organizations and city networks at a local level to see how we can all work together to make a greater collective impact in our cities.
WayBase is a platform that helps connect and organize the entire Christian sector to work together for good. WayBase.com helps Christian organizations work together, and the Engage mobile app helps people engage their spiritual life in meaningful ways—together creating a movement for greater impact and deeper growth.
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The views and opinions expressed in the posted press releases on CCNS do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of CCNS or its parent company, Graf-Martin Communications.