Canada

The Spiritual Need in Canada

Although Canada has two official languages (French and English), and two dominant religious groups (Protestant and Catholic), it is truly multicultural.

Geographically, Canada is the second largest country in the world, and it has opened its doors to many immigrants. Asian, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and other ethnic groups have immigrated in large numbers, particularly to the major urban areas where 80% of Canada’s total population of more than 38 million lives.

Only eight percent of Canadians consider themselves evangelical believers, and a 2019 Evangelical Fellowship of Canada survey suggests that 50% of Canadians are either agnostic, atheist, or unreligious, and only 10% attend religious services weekly. From a church per capita perspective, Canada is one of the most unchurched countries in the world.

The spiritual famine in the province of Quebec is more pronounced, where less than one percent of the population identify as believers. The Catholic Church had prominent societal influence in the region until the 1970s, when the Quiet Revolution led to government secularization and ultimately, a postmodern and post-Christian culture.

Evangelical Missions To Canada

Although the province of Quebec was opened as an ABWE mission field in 1996, Canadian churches had and continue to have long-standing relationships with ABWE International that foster cross-cultural ministry and leadership development. Missionaries in Quebec City plant churches and train leaders, and our missionaries have served the Chinese expatriate community in Toronto.

A new team is developing in the Greater Montreal region, where we have the opportunity to reach, among others, communities of North Africans, including Muslims. Montreal now boasts the largest student population per capita in North America, so our team is preparing ministries to reach international university students as well.

Looking to the future, ABWE’s Canada team desires to establish a city team in each of the metropolitan centers between Toronto and Quebec City, where one-third of the Canadian population lives. It is our team's vision to give every person in Canada, from any nation, repeated opportunities to see, hear, and respond to the good news—and the EveryEthnē initiative exists to be on mission with North American churches to reach these diverse people groups through a disciple-making movement.