The Quebec Reality

Many Worlds –7 million people

Quebec in 2001

Population: 7.4 million Home language: French 6.1 million (89%) English .75 million (10%)

Overall 0.5% evangelical North America’s largest unreached people group are Quebec’s 6,000,000 post-Catholic francophones.

Nominally Catholic

Quebec CanadaRoman Catholic 86% 41%Protestant 6% 30%

Lorne Hunter, from Stats Canada, 1999

Yet…Catholic bishops estimate less than 1% of baptized Catholics are involved in parish life.

Evangelical History in Quebec

Before 1970… about 100 French churches

… hostileenvironmentfor evangelism

Murray Heron, Footprints Across Quebec. Joshua Press, 1999

1970-1987: Season of Growth

Membership in Three Major French Evangelical Denominations - Wes Peach, Transforming Our Nation p. 175, figure 17.

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

Years

Members

Protestant Churches in Quebec (1950 – 2000)

19501960 1970

19751980

19841986

19931997

2000

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

English

French

Total

Direction Chrétienne, TON, p. 235, and subsequent research

Mainline and Evangelical Components of Harvest Force

1950

1960

1970

1975

1980

1984

1994

French Mainline

English Evangelical

French Evangelical

Engilsh Mainline

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Glenn Smith, TON, p. 248

Significant Protestant French Church Growth Since 1997!

1997 2000 AverageGrowth Rate

French: ChurchesC/P Ratio

39118,67

7

42217,48

3

+2.6%+2.6% annually

English:ChurchesC/P Ratio

4401,616

4071,830

- 2.6% annually

Comparisons of Evangelical Ratios In and Out of Quebec:

Inside Quebec

Outside of Quebec

French:ChurchesC/P Ratio

42217,483

4613,415

English:ChurchesC/P Ratio

1405,321

7,7932,689

Other “Home Language” Church Planting Needs:

Recorded Churches

Population per Church

ArabicCreeGreekInukatitutItalianMontagnais-NaskapiPersian (Farsi)TamilPolishVietnamese

2 1 40

5

00102

18,170 12,346 7,2748,004

12,7787,6876,5177,289

10,47110,157

Other “Harvest Fields”….

There are more university students per- capita in Montreal than in any city in North America.

Other “Harvest Fields”…

Residents of High-density, Multi-housing – rentals. Tend to be poor, female. 46% … highest of any province

Traditional Family Waning, e.g. Common-Law relationships: 21% (Canadian average: 12%)

Other “Harvest Fields”…

Cults

e.g… RaeliansNew Age phenomenon Aberrant strains once rooted in

Christianity

Which French-language denominations are growing?

  1997 2000 AnnualGrowt

hAlliance Chr. & Miss. 8 14 20%

Ass. C. La Bible Parle

5 9 21.5%

Ass. De Dieu Indep. 16 30 23.3%

Eg. Bapt. Indep 6 12 26%

Elim Fellowship 10 19 23.9%

Non identifiees 22 46 27.9%

Congregations

What do evangelical Francophones in Quebec need from God?

Passion for the lost and boldness to minister (Gary Connors)God’s hand on the Church of Québec to give her power, courage, determination and a sense of urgency to get the job done. (Yvan Fournier)Prayer and fresh faith for new revivalNew leaders for, and from, the harvest

What do evangelical Francophones in Quebec need from rest of Canada?

We need to know that someone out there cares... and is willing to invest in prayer, and other partnerships. (David McCann, S. Army)Financial assistance for translation of training materials or seminars. (Gary Connors, PAOC)Partnering bodies for prayer and support – an “adopt-a-church” concept (Gary Connors) We need missionaries prepared to commit to the "long haul". (David McCann)Long term partnerships where the Canadian Church collaborates with Quebec in Church planting and leadership training. (Yvan Fournier, C&MA)