Since the earliest days of religious worship, houses of worship have stood as symbols of meaning and value. In Canada, the social, spiritual and communal value of local worshipping congregations has long been accepted. Despite this widespread qualitative acknowledgement, few studies have considered the economic impact that these congregations provide directly to their surrounding communities. Drawing on recent research in the United States, this article offers the first quantitative national estimate of the socio-economic value of these religious congregations to Canadian society. This study offers insight into the socio-economic benefit, or “Halo Effect”, that Canadian congregations and places of worship have on their surrounding communities. The article offers two estimates, ranging in economic scope from the basic impact of congregational spending, to a more generous figure resulting from the application of Social Return on Investment (SROI) models.

In Canada, the social, spiritual and communal value of local worshipping congregations has long been accepted. The value that Canadians place on these organizations is reflected in their charitable status and the tax-free benefits this affords. But with increasing costs, and governments at all levels needing to mine new sources of revenue, there is increasing pressure from some segments of Canadian society to reduce or eliminate this charitable status. Drawing on data from the Halo Canada project, the author puts forward a socio-economic case for maintaining the charitable status of places of worship, suggesting that the socio-economic or Halo Effect of congregations outweighs the benefits of government taxation by more than ten times.

Regularly nominated for the vet of the year award, he was a talented vet who loved his work.

No abstract

No abstract