Noteworthy
Canada’s powerful religious economy
Religion contributes more than $30 billion to the Canadian GDP, according to a report produced by the ecumenical think tank Cardus. As their most conservative estimate, $30 billion includes only the revenue of religious charity, education, health care and media organizations. When including a valuation of initiatives like congregationally hosted substance abuse recovery groups, religious contributions rose to $67 billion annually. The authors note this places religion as the ninth-largest enterprise in Canada, with a higher annual worth than the budget of half the world’s countries. WWW.CARDUS.CA
Porn: Stopping the minor problem
A new Senate bill would require pornography websites to restrict minors from accessing their sexually explicit content. More than half of teens access porn at least monthly, with most boys exposed to it by age 12, according to internet monitoring company Covenant Eyes. The bill [learn more at www.TheEFC.ca/S-203] puts the onus on pornography companies to ensure they are not providing the material to young Canadians. Companies that fail to institute safeguards would face fines starting at $250,000. WWW.DECISIONMAGAZINE.COM
Churches increasingly racially diverse
The number of multiracial congregations has nearly tripled in the U.S. over the past 20 years, according to a study from Baylor University. To qualify as multiracial no racial group could account for more than 80 per cent of a congregation. Of the 5,000 churches included, Catholic and evangelical churches were most likely to be multiracial (23 and 22 per cent respectively, up from 17 and 7 per cent in 1998). Mainline Protestant churches increased to 10 per cent multiracial, from one per cent in 1998. Black Protestant churches remain unchanged with less than one per cent being multiracial. Among multiracial congregations 76 per cent are led by white ministers. WWW.MIRAGENEWS.COM
Signs of the Bible
The full Bible has been translated into American Sign Language for the first time. The project took Deaf Missions 38 years, but finished ahead of their initially projected completion date of 2033. Fifty-three translators worked on the project, signing on video and sometimes wearing costumes to help depict the setting. The American Sign Language Version (ASLV) is available through the Deaf Missions app and website. WWW.CHURCHLEADERS.COM
Churches struggling during Covid and adapting
A group of Christian researchers led by the team at WayBase surveyed church and ministry leaders across Canada to gauge the impact of the pandemic on their ministries. Although 60 per cent of Christian organizations are experiencing a decline in giving, with many seeing declines of 10 to 30 per cent, the vast majority have adjusted to the new economic realities. Waybase’s Tim Day expects the vast majority of churches and ministries will find their way through the pandemic. Based on survey results Day notes the Christian sector has improved its ability to engage people online, but expects the return to attending services in-person will be a slower process for many. Day anticipates the lasting effect of the pandemic will be the Church will be better online, more engaged in serving its communities and be more open to collaboration.