Dr Wong Wing Sze
CGST Toronto Director of Centre for Global Chinese Church Research
Assistant Professor (Practical Studies), CGST

Do we truly grasp the current state of the Church?

Which congregations are growing or declining? Who is showing up regularly, and who is fading away quietly? How are churches adapting to the changing cultural and religious landscape, especially in communities where the Church no longer leads public life? These are questions pastors and lay leaders carry into staff meetings, elder boards, and prayer in Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (US), and Australia, as secularization and migration reshape local realities. A church census is essential for church leaders today, as it can provide answers to these questions.

These are immediate, practical challenges–not abstract questions. This kind of census is one of the tools to address them, giving pastors a shared language and actionable data to understand their context and shape ministry strategies. In short, it helps us replace hunches with a true picture.

A census may seem mundane; done well, it gives churches what they most lack: Clarity. Like a national census for governments, such work provides an essential snapshot – revealing where the Church stands, how it is evolving, and what it truly needs to flourish. Because ministry is contextual, local understanding is vital. Clarity has to be local – parish to postal code, county to council, suburb to major metropolitan areas – so that decisions reflect people, not assumptions.

Why the Big Picture Matters

Census findings at national and regional levels reveal trends that individual congregations cannot see alone:

• Where churches are thriving, dying, or struggling
• Transformations in age groups, ethnic communities, and ministry models
• Where to plant churches, train leaders, or launch outreach

Consider Canada’s 2021 national census: less than six in ten Canadians were Christian (53.3%) while 34.6% reported no religion – down from 77% Christian in 2001.¹ In the US, recent national surveys find approximately 62–65% Christian and approximately 29% unaffiliated.² These headlines can feel discouraging, but they also tell us exactly why careful, coordinated census efforts matter.

The Local Church: A Reflection and a Guide

A closer look tells a different story. In immigrant-heavy Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver, new arrivals are quietly sustaining and renewing local churches.³ Similar patterns exist in the UK (e.g., African/Caribbean and Asian networks in London and the Midlands),⁴ in US metro areas with dense immigrant congregations (e.g., New York City, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area),⁵ and in Australia, where multilingual congregations in Sydney and Melbourne reflect migration’s impact on worship and leadership.⁶

Beyond national trends, local census work provides congregations with a clear mirror. It shows who they really are – who’s present, who is not, which outreaches work, and which need review. For example:

• Is our congregation getting younger or older?
• Are we losing the second generation?
• Do we act in ministry out of insight or assumptions?

When leaders use the data, guesswork gives way to purpose. Congregations can act proactively rather than reactively. Leaders can name what is actually happening and plan ministries that meet people where they are.

A Wake-Up Call – and Opportunity – for Diaspora Churches

For diaspora communities (Chinese, Korean, Latino, African, and others), this work is especially crucial. These churches navigate heritage and relevance, generational divides, and broader society. They are vibrant but underrepresented in national church discourse and theological education. Their voices, contributions, and struggles are often overlooked.

Systematic census work changes this. It builds visibility and an accurate account of the Church. It allows diaspora churches to:

• Highlight their presence and impact
• Plan leadership succession across generations
• Understand evolving needs
• Move from survival to mission

The UK’s 2022 church census offers a key example. Unlike other historic churches, which were still in decline, London’s Black majority churches were thriving with high intergenerational participation.⁷ This trend, rarely discussed nationally, emerged only through deliberate data collection. In other words, if we don’t measure it, we don’t see – and if we don’t see, we can’t steward.

What would we learn if Chinese, Filipino, and Black churches across North America coordinated a shared census? What hidden assets or urgent needs might we see? If a similar effort gathered diaspora churches in the English-speaking countries, what shared insights could guide ministry across borders?

From Silence to Strategy

Participating in a church census is not mere administration; it is a ministry discipline. It helps congregations from reacting to planning with foresight. It is a practical way to love our congregations and neighbours with wisdom.

For diaspora churches, the benefits multiply. The data bridges generations, guiding language ministries and leadership to serve both first- and second-generation members. It also reveals hidden needs, prompting churches to equip young leaders for today’s ministry. Boards and elders gain common facts that foster unity in decision-making.

Shared data creates shared solutions. Results can reframe mission from self-preservation to community engagement, raise visibility in national faith narratives, and enable timely learning across networks.

What’s at Stake?

If diaspora churches skip this work, their unique stories and needs stay hidden, risking further marginalization in training, pastoral care, and public discussion. Inside the church, a lack of data leads to missed opportunities, such as strategies to address youth attrition, aging leadership, and misaligned priorities. With census results in hand, leaders can align vision, budget, staffing, and partnerships with reality. The real question for church leaders is not whether to take part in a church census, but:

• Can we afford to lead without knowing who we are or who we are leaving behind?
• Can we afford to guess, when we could know and care better?

A Calling to Stewardship

Church census isn’t about numbers for numbers’ sake; it’s about people. It is faithful stewardship – of the people God has put in our care, the resources we have been given, and the mission to which we are called.

It tells the story of God’s work in the Church as it changes through generations.

Done together, a shared census ensures diaspora churches are not forgotten but are co-authors of Christianity’s future. It is a simple, concrete way to serve Christ’s one Church across our cities.

Invitation

The Centre for Global Chinese Church Research (CGCCR) invites pastors, church boards, and ministry teams to participate in the Global Chinese Church Census. Join us as research partners to map congregations across Canada, the UK, the US, and Australia; to identify needs and strengths; and to share practical insights across our networks. Add your congregation’s voice to the story – so together we can plan with discernment, invest in the next generation, and strengthen the Church’s witness in our cities.

As research partners, you will help by (1) sharing a brief congregational profile and (2) receiving a concise report for your leadership team. Ready to participate? Register your congregation here.

Prefer email? Contact us at cgccr@cgst.edu – we’re glad to help.

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¹ “The Canadian Census: A Rich Portrait of the Country’s Religious and Ethnocultural Diversity.” Statistics Canada (October 26, 2022). No pages. Online: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221026/dq221026b-eng.htm

² Smith et al. “Religious Landscape Study: Executive Summary.” Pew Research Centre (February 26, 2025). No pages. Online: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/religious-landscape-study-executive-summary/

³ Cornelissen, Louis. “Religiosity in Canada and Its Evolution from 1985 to 2019.” Statistics Canada (October 28, 2021). No pages. Online: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2021001/article/00010-eng.htm

⁴ Brierley, Peter, ed. UK Church Statistics No 3: 2018 Edition. ADBC Publishers, 2017.

⁵ Grammich et al. “2020 U.S. Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Adherents Study.” Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. Lenexa, Kansas: Harvest Graphics, 2023.

⁶ “Ethnic Diversity in Australian Churches.” NCLS Research. No pages. Online:  https://www.ncls.org.au/articles/ethnic-diversity-in-australian-churches/

⁷ Brierley, Peter, ed. UK Church Statistics No 3: 2018 Edition. ADBC Publishers, 2017.