Better data. Better insights. Better churches.
The Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research is based out of Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto and is committed to supporting those who serve and research the Canadian Church through data-informed research, tools, encounters, and insights.
The Institute is especially committed to understanding:
- Who goes to what churches?
- What are congregations and parishes most often doing and what resources are they using?
- How do churchgoers/parishioners work together?
- In what contexts do they serve and worship?
- What is their past, present, and future trajectory?
Sponsored by a $1M-grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc.’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative, CIECR initiates and supports church research. This includes its own research projects, such as its Divine Pulse Project; research partnerships; and independent research that it resources and amplifies, such as the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s research into how Canadian parents share their faith with their children.
CIECR gathers church leaders and researchers and facilitates conversation and cooperation among the vested parties through one-on-one dialogue and by hosting larger academic and denomination meetings and public-facing conferences such as its annual Canadian Church Research Symposium.
Facilitating practical learning, CIECR publishes a monthly bulletin highlighting recent discoveries, as well as builds explorable data visualization, which are published in academic and public forums, and teaches courses for scholars and practitioners.
