title: Normalizing denominational statistics with demographic data: the case of the United Church of Canada.
abstract: In the Canadian context, one type of data has been underutilized in the study of contemporary religious trends: church collected statistics. The present article explores the advantages and limitations of such data by analyzing the evolution of key church indicators of the United Church of Canada over the past four decades. Figures regarding church membership, child baptisms, and funerals are examined and compared with demographic data from four Canadian regions. Results show that virtually all United Church statistics are in decline with regard to larger society since the 1970s. However, there are regional variations, most notably in the Atlantic provinces, which show later and lesser rates of decline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Nuffield College, University of Oxford, New Road, Oxford OX1 1NF, United Kingdom. sarah.wilkinslaflamme@nuffield.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilkins-Laflamme
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D003710:Demography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012067:Religion; D014798:Vital Statistics