A Dissertation
Submitted to the Faculty of
The School of Theology
Fuller Theological Seminary

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Ministry

by

Murray Moerman
December, 1991

Abstract:

THE D.A.W.N. CHALLENGE FOR CANADA: 
A CHURCH FOR EVERY 2000 PERSONS BY AD 2000

Murray Moerman

Doctor of Ministry

1991

Fuller Theological Seminary

In order to place one evangelizing church within the reach of each 2000 Canadians in a given people group or community speaking any of the 49 most commonly used languages in Canada by the year AD 2000, Canada requires the planting of 6,700 new evangelical churches.
This dissertation demonstrates the need for a D.A.W.N. ("Discipling A Whole Nation") church planting strategy in Canada. It does so by describing the state of need of the church and by recommending the model of national church planting cooperation developed in the Philippines by Dr. James Montgomery, formerly of Overseas Crusades, and implemented successfully in numerous other nations under the DAWN acronym.
The dissertation supplies data on the locations and languages where there are insufficient evangelical churches in proportion to the population in Canada. This data is based upon original research in which existing Canadian evangelical churches as of 1989 were located and compared with the anticipated population of each language group in AD 2000. Findings regarding population to evangelical church ratios and the numbers of new churches required are listed, largely in appendices, by national summary, province or territory (12), census division (266), census metropolitan area (139), and/or census sub-division (6,009). 
A summary of this material is published in Reclaiming a Nation: The Challenge of Re-Evangelizing Canada by the Year 2000, edited by Arnell Motz, and was presented at the 1990 Canadian D.A.W.N. congress, the National Leadership Consultation on Evangelism of Vision 2000 Canada in Ottawa.
Included in the opening and closing chapters of the dissertation is a theological rationale for evangelism, planting, and church growth, as well as working Canadian church planting model, with proposed steps for denominations and local churches to take in planting the thousands of evangelical churches necessary to provide every person in Canada with the opportunity to see, hear and respond to the gospel by the year AD 2000.

Advisor: Dr. Ray S. Anderson, Ph.D.
Professor of Theology and Ministry
Theological Mentor for Doctor of Ministry Studies
314 words

THE CHALLENGE OF CHURCH PLANTING IN CANADA: 
A 'D.A.W.N.' PROJECT

Table of Contents

List of Tables........................................... 1.

Acknowledgments.......................................... 2.

Introduction............................................. 4.

Chapters: 
		
1.    A THEOLOGY OF CHURCH GROWTH........................ 6.   
God Wants His Church to Grow
The Kingdom and the Church
The Priority of God
God and the Poor

2.    THE WORK OF EVANGELISM AND CHURCH PLANTING........ 21.    
The Work of Evangelism
Extending God's Kingdom Through the 
  Comprehensive Growth and Reproduction 
  of His Church

3.    THE NEED FOR A CANADIAN "WHOLE NATION" 
		CHURCH PLANTING STRATEGY.......................... 36.

Why Plant New Churches?
The "Discipling a Whole Nation" (DAWN) 
Church Planting Strategy
A DAWN Movement for Canada 
The Need for Renewal
How Christian is Canada?
Dispelling the Fog

4.    THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY DEVISED AND EMPLOYED 
      TO SERVE A CANADIAN "WHOLE NATION" 
		CHURCH PLANTING STRATEGY.......................... 55.

The Research Methodogy
An Overview of 
Existing Churches and Missions

5.    FOREMOST NEEDS FOR NEW CHURCH PLANTING............ 69.

By Province and Territory
By Census Division
In Cities with Populations of Over 10,000 
By Census Sub-Division
By Home Language

6.    PRACTICAL STEPS TOWARDS PLANTING 6,700 NEW 
      CANADIAN EVANGELICAL CHURCHES..................... 85.

National Cooperation
Local Steps
Applying the Data in a Specific Instance

Conclusion............................................. 104.

List of Appendices..................................... 106.

Appendices............................................. 108.

Bibliography........................................... 310. 

Vita Page.............................................. 315.