The Most Unchurched Part of North America

November 7, 2010


The Lebanese singers opened the program.
The Vietnamese singers had beautiful harmony.
The crowd loved the Haitian singers.

Q: Where are you if you are in the most unchurched part of North America?
A: You are in Quebec.

Several times this weekend I have been reminded of the staggering challenge evangelical Christians face in Quebec. The statistics boggle the mind. Fewer than 1 percent of the population claims to be evangelical Christian. In Montreal I am told the number is .05 percent. That’s 1/2 of 1 percent. For the province as a whole, it may be closer to 1/10th of 1 percent. 

If you live in Dallas or Orlando or Chicago or Atlanta, it’s hard to fathom those numbers. Pastor Joseph Hovsepian put to me this way. “There are more evangelical Christians in Cuba than in Quebec.”

That’s why this weekend’s Missions Globales festival was so important. The churches here need the encouragement of connecting together for the work of Christ. You can’t come to Montreal without sensing the worldwide scope of the body of Christ. Last night’s “Celebrate the Nations” featured singers from nine different nations plus a group of African signers, all of them from various local churches. I couldn’t understand what the Lebanese singers were saying, but their faith was unmistakable. Ditto for the soloist from Peru and the amazing Korean choir or the beautiful harmonies of the Vietnamese singers. No one could doubt the exuberant joy of the African choir. 

This morning I spoke at Temple Baptist Church, a hundred-year-old congregation in the Outremont section of Montreal. We thoroughly enjoyed worshiping with them. Tonight I spoke at the People’s Church in downtown Montreal, located across the street from world-famous McGill University. They do a splendid job reaching university students for Christ.

Someone who lives here spoke of the spiritual darkness. Another person said that in Montreal the church isn’t even an option for most people. The culture is so resolutely secular that the church doesn’t make news unless there is a scandal. 

And yet the church of Jesus is growing in Montreal. Good things are happening in this corner of the world. When you turn on the light in this sort of darkness, it really shines. 

Special thanks to Vivian Sturgeon and to all the volunteers who labored many hours to put the conference together. Thanks also to Pastor Joseph Hovsepian of Temple Baptist Church and to Pastor Bryan Guinness of Peoples Church. We had a terrific time this weekend and look forward to coming back to Montreal again. 

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