Statistics Canada recently released the data for religion from the 2021 Census. On the surface, it sure doesn’t seem that the news is good for Christianity in Canada. Look at the rapid decline in those who claim to be Christians: in 2001, 77% of Canadians said they were Christians. In 2011, it was 67%. And in 2021, the number is all the way down to 53%. Meanwhile, the proportion of those who claim no religious affiliation has grown from 17% to 36% in that same time period.
In BC, it’s even more stark. We are officially the most secular province in one of the most secular countries in the world. In BC, the number of people with no religious affiliation has jumped to 52%- in other words, that’s now the majority of people in our province. Only 34% of British Columbians say that they are Christians. North Vancouver almost exactly reflects the broader BC statistics- 34% claim Christianity and 55% claim no religion. 10 years ago, those numbers in North Vancouver were 47% Christian and 44% no religion. That means we’ve seen a slight statistical lead in the Christian/secular divide transform to a 20% gap in 10 years. I also looked up the data for a few neighbourhoods immediately around our church home. In the neighbourhood that our church is based in, we see that 30% of residents say they are Christian believers, while an overwhelming 64% claim no religious affiliation. I think you’re getting the picture! It seems that the closer we zoom into where God has planted The Bridge, the more secular society becomes. Hopefully that’s not because of us!
The other dynamic at work, unsurprisingly, is that there is a generational component to the decline. I was sent this infographic by a brother. There’s a lot there that’s interesting, but one number especially popped: among those aged 25-34, the decline among Canadians who claim to be Christians dropped 20%, all the way down to 37%. I don’t have the numbers for BC, but I would imagine the percentage there would be even lower.
It’s interesting to note the broader cultural response to this. Understandably, given where most people currently stand in our province, the change is seen positively. CBC news began their article with quotes from the executive director of the BC Humanist Association. He is, and I quote, “thrilled” at the news. Characteristically, CBC then interviews a couple of leaders from liberal mainline Christian denominations where the decline is most marked. (It has seemed to me that CBC News is allergic to anyone with what I would see as a biblically informed, historically orthodox Christian faith. That or they haven’t yet learned these people exist. Maybe some day they’ll discover otherwise. We pray for them.)
As always, however, both the surface numbers and the media response have missed something crucial.
Here’s one thing to keep in mind: identifying as a Christian on census forms is as simple as checking a box. There’s no questions about actual beliefs. Do people believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Do they believe that his death on the cross has brought about their forgiveness of sins? We have no idea. There’s no lifestyle questions on a census form as it relates to faith. Are people connected to a local church? Do they have a personal relationship with God, manifested by regular prayer and Bible reading? Are they using their God-given gifts to serve the Kingdom? Again, we have no clue. The fact is, those percentages, decades ago as well as now, include massive numbers of nominal believers. These are people who check off the “Christian” box because they were baptized as an infant, or because their parents or grandparents were Christians and they figure that describes them better than any other box. This nominalism has an amplifying effect as well. The more nominally Christian a place is, the more likely people will fall in line and say “sure, I’m a Christian too”. For generations, Christianity was simply the default option on religion surveys in Canada. However, the less nominally Christian a place is, the more people will feel free to reject a label that never actually fit them in the first place. That’s where we are now. The point is, I’ve never put much stock in the reported percentage of Christians in a place like Canada. It would be different in a place like China or especially North Korea, where only those who are seriously devoted to Jesus would ever associate with him, given the cost of persecution.
I’m reading through Isaiah right now, my favourite Old Testament book. One of the themes running throughout the book is that of a remnant. Because of its idolatry, the people of Israel and Judah- nominally devoted to God- have fallen. They have come under God’s judgment. Many have been taken from the land. But hope is not lost because there is a remnant.
“It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain…yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs.”
Isaiah 17:5-6
From this faithful remnant, God will bring about renewal in His people. This is what He has done in history over and over again. There is always a faithful remnant in whom the seed of renewal is planted. Where did we get the idea that mass popular approval was an indicator of where truth was to be found anyway? God sent Gideon to fight against the Midianite army with 300 men. He delivered a group of slaves from the mighty nation of Egypt. When Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to fill His people at Pentecost, it was a group of 120 men and women in the backwaters of an empire of millions. This is our heritage. It is the way God has worked in history.
See, I’m not really that bothered by the statistics. It may even be an indication that the church is being refined through the fire of this cultural moment in the West. Nominal faith is on its way out- great! The church is being relieved of its duty as a cultural institution with political power- wonderful! Now we can get on with the real business of being the church, a light in the world, a counter-cultural presence in the world witnessing to the Kingdom of God. We can be devoted, not to public opinion polls, but to Jesus. We can seek true revival. Let’s see what God will do through those who are surrendered to Him in a time like this.
