Most Canadians seldom or never read the Bible – according to the (May 1, 2014) Canadian Bible Engagement Study (CBES) conducted by the Canadian Bible Forum and Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
Sad news from the CBES
- 55% of Canadians have never read the Bible
- 50% of Canadians who read the Bible weekly in 1996 no longer do so today
- 69% of Canadians believe the Bible has irreconcilable contradictions
- 64% of Canadians believe the Scriptures of the major world religions teach essentially the same thing
Other news from the CBES
- 18% of Canadians strongly agree that the Bible is the Word of God (down from 35% in 1996)
- 21% of Canadian Christians reflect on the meaning of the Bible for their lives at least a few times a week
- 11% of Canadian Christians talk to others about the Bible outside of religious services
- Bible reading frequency among Canadian Christians is roughly the same across all age groups
- 80% of weekly Bible readers strongly agree that the Bible is the Word of God
- 61% of Evangelical Christians strongly agree that the Bible is relevant to their lives
- Confidence in, community around, and conversations about the Bible help deepen Bible engagement
- People who strongly agree that the Bible is the Word of God are six times more likely to attend church weekly
One of the findings of the CBES is that the fate of Bible engagement and church attendance are inextricably linked. Church attendance, like Bible engagement, has been declining for decades (16% of Canadians attend church weekly – down from 27% in 1996).
While the Study hasn’t unearthed anything new, it is a wake-up call. Hopefully, God’s people will take a good, long, prayerful look at the state of both Bible engagement and the church in Canada . . .
The Canadian Bible Engagement Study is a must-see (check out the engaging video) and a must-read (Executive Summary and Full Report). Watch the video and get the free download of the CBES Report at www.bibleengagementstudy.ca
Related Articles
Engaging Canadians With the Bible
Canadian Bible Trends in Light of Reading Trends
Summary
The Canadian Bible Engagement Study reveals concerning trends in Bible engagement and church attendance in Canada. Over half of Canadians (55%) have never read the Bible, and church attendance has declined significantly, with only 16% attending weekly in 2014, down from 27% in 1996. While 80% of weekly Bible readers strongly agree that the Bible is the Word of God, the study shows a growing skepticism, with 69% of Canadians believing the Bible contains irreconcilable contradictions. This decline in engagement highlights the need for deeper reflection and prayerful action by the Church to address these challenges.
© Scripture Union Canada
