Where Should ANiC Plant Next?

Gregory Butler is a member of St. Peter and St. Paul's Parish in Ottawa.  He is a research analyst currently working for the federal government. He has published on the interaction of the urban environment and health promotion.  Gregory has been doing a lot of thinking about where our next strategic Church Plants should be located.  He has been in touch with Anglican Explorers and recently addressed a key meeting of our Bishops with the Canon for Church Planting, the Rev. Alastair Sterne.

Key Points from the presentation:

• 70 % of Canadians live in 35 Census Metro Areas (CMA's)
• They are zones of influence and we need an Anchor Church in each
• Estimated 80 potential ANiC interested people per 100,000 population throughout Canada
• Winnipeg, Kitchener-Waterloo, and London are the largest CMA's without an ANiC parish
• These should be the targets for interns and planters, followed by funding and clergy to develop to 200+
• Anchor churches have mission DNA, want to plant, cover the ANiC spectrum, and are ambitious.
• Large and stable plants then increase ANiC funds to plant more
• Victoria, Vancouver, Ottawa, and St. John's are examples of already serviced CMA's.