Maps show the diversity and possibilities for our faith communities

Maps show the diversity and possibilities for our faith communities

by Canon Dr. Neil Mancor (originally published in the Anglican Montreal, June 2022)

Maps & Context

A map can tell a story, but it all depends upon your perspective. Famously the Mercator projection has framed how we see the landmass of the world. But it is also recognized that it distorts the size of landmasses further away from the equator and so makes many central African countries look smaller than they are and northern countries look much larger. This has shaped the way many of us see the world. In contrast the Gall-Peters map tries to correct these distortions and depicts the landmasses a different perspective and shows, for example, just how truly vast the continent of Africa is in relation to Europe. But it is all a matter of how you look at it.

The same is true when we think about the map of our Diocese, the locations of our parishes and the many people who live all around them. As we think about that map (or maps as we are in many places) we might see teeming opportunity in the neighborhoods of our churches. Or we might see places where the population has emptied out leaving us with little to work with. People will often say that we have “too many” churches and need to close many of them. Or we do not have enough churches in the right places. But how can we know if these hunches and guesses are actually true or not. We consult maps. Very interesting and detailed maps which give us in-depth information about the communities in which our churches are located.

In the light of the cataclysm that is COVID-19, the Diocese commissioned a series of maps from Environics Analytics to help us answer these questions and find out more about where our opportunities lie. They give us a snap shot of our communities now and project trends into the future. They tell us about the many different people who live all around us. We know about family structures, income levels, ethnicity, language, religious affiliation and Anglican commitment. The picture these maps paint is of a diversity of contexts and possibility for many of our communities of faith.

Context context context. We often like to speak about ministering in our unique context of Quebec. But we do not exist in a single Quebec context but in many, many different contexts each of which requires a different approach for ministry and mission. In fact, our map defines more than 18 different contexts on the Island of Montreal alone. There are different lifestyles, values, hopes and aspirations scattered all around the many different people who live within our geographical Diocese. Environics calls them “PRIZM Segments” and gives them different names to help us understand important demographics, social attitudes and lifestyles.

Included here is a map of the main area of the Island of Montreal where we have our churches. This may look confusing, but it shows just how diverse the populations are. For example, over in the eastern part of this area, around St Hilda’s, the people who live around there are classed as “Les Énergeunes”. But over by the northern part of the West Island in places like Pierrefonds-Roxboro we find “Diversité Nouvelle” mixed with “Mature and Secure”. You can already begin to sense that these are very different segments of the population with very different interests, values and lifestyles. They cannot be approached in the same way.

For example, Les Énergeunes are young, educated and mobile. Most are under 35 and more than half are single. Nearly 2/3 are completely bilingual and well educated. Most of them are in lower-paying jobs because they are still progressing through the early phases of their careers and they typically rent apartments in low-rise apartments in older parts of Montreal. Free of family obligations and mortgages, they pursue lifestyles that cultivate both mind and body. Many like to spend a date at a nightclub, comedy show or jazz concert. They are progressive in their outlook, and open to a wide range of

lifestyles. We even know that they like food that is ethical, organic and gluten free. On our map, many are clustered around St Hilda’s which is a great opportunity for that church. I doubt that a Sunday School will ever take off there, but an organic vegan community meal with lots of room for wide ranging conversation might be interesting. We often ask: where are all the young people? The map tells us where, and we can tailor ministry where they are.

In contrast, over in the northern part of the West Island in places like Pierrefonds-Roxboro there is a different mixture of population segments, particularly Diversité Nouvelle and Mature and Secure. The latter is exactly as it sounds – an older population, many living in bungalows. This is well reflected in many of our churches and they have important concerns around issues like healthcare. Of interest is the growth of Diversité Nouvelle, which is also what it sounds like. A diverse segment of the population reflecting the people of many different countries and backgrounds who have come to make Quebec their home. Diversité Nouvelle stands out for its multi-lingual neighborhoods where those between 35 and 54 own relatively new homes, a mix of single detached homes, semi-detached homes and low-rise apartments. Unlike Les Énergeunes, these people are predominantly married with large family households, with children of all ages. Their interests and concerns reflect this lived reality and churches would do well to think about how they can support both people getting more into their senior years, as well as ethnically diverse families raising their children.

As you can see, there is not one context in which we serve but many. It comes down to that perspective, like with the Mercator map. We could choose to see what is lacking. “There are no young people.” This is true in some locations, but not in others.”There are too many churches for too few Anglican”. This looks true. But every church exists in a community with people living all around. Churches that come to grips with the character, make-up and needs of their locations, understand them and seek to minister with them, will find a sense of purpose and mission. There is a great deal of opportunity for our churches, and that opportunity lies in the diversity of the population all around us.

If you want to find out more about your location – please reach out to me. I am more than happy to talk this through with you.