canadianchristianity.com email interview with David Arrol Macfarlane, director of national initiatives, The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

1. What are the main challenges and issues the Canadian church is facing?

In discussions with pastors across the county, it appears that the main challenge facing the local churches is that they need to regain their sense of mission.

2. What are the bright spots, encouraging trends, new movements in Canadian Christianity?

The bright spots that we see in our nation are:

An emerging church that wants to be "real" and "passionate" and "cause-driven" with little time for irrelevance.

The growth of the house church movement under the radar screen of most organized institutions.

The new social conscience that evangelical churches are developing which translates into them engaging their communities in tangible and helpful and sustainable ways that are for "the long haul."

Congregations that are using Alpha effectively.

Churches, both small and large that are offering restorative ministries that are appreciated and helpful in our broken world grief recovery, AA, drug rehab etc.

3. What is the character of the Canadian church? What distinguishing characteristics does it have? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Is this changing?

Strengths: The Canadian Church is providing amazing resources. It is financially rich, highly educated, with training available on lots of topics. We have religious freedom and access to a Bible - unlike other countries.

Weakness: Apathy and a need to recapture its sense of mission

4. How is the church doing qualitatively? How committed are church members? Are churches generally optimistic, pessimistic, fearful, expectant, discouraged, energized, complacent, disinterested, etc.?

Large churches -- mega churches -- are appearing across the nation and attracting increasingly larger numbers.

Overall, churches are generally struggling and in a 'survival mode.'

Many good pastors are leaving the ministry.

5. What is the state of the church in Canada numerically, both in terms of the number of church members and the number of Christians? What branches of the church -- such as, Catholic, mainline, charismatic, postmodern, evangelical -- are growing and shrinking? In what parts of the country-provinces, urban areas, rural areas--is the church growing or shrinking? Among what demographics is the church growing or shrinking?

Many 'Traditional' churches have done well, and are holding their own and growing as are emerging churches. Overall, the others are struggling.

We are seeing the growth of the suburban church.

The future belongs to intercultural churches, those who have learned to engage their communities with integrity.

6. What is the attitude of the larger Canadian society to Christianity?

The community at large is not against the Christian faith, just ignorant of it.

7. What is the ethnic makeup of the church in Canada and what impact is immigration having on Canada?

Overall churches tend to be mono ethnic.

Growing churches of the future, in the large cities, will either be multi ethnic accepting of different groups or intercultural intentionally reaching and embracing ethnic groups.

8. What are the most important moral issues that the church will be wrestling with in the next few years? Are we still wrestling with issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, or are those battles over? What can and should the church be doing in these areas?

The most serious issue facing the church is integrity. Christians must live incarnationally 24/7 -- not just on Sundays.