International Application of the Australian Model
Other countries have adopted the Australian Church Life Survey model with some ongoing partnerships.
Following two National Church Life Surveys in 1991 and 1996 in Australia, the NCLS Research team supported New Zealand churches as they conducted the Church Life Survey-New Zealand. The Australian methodology and resources were replicated for this project. New Zealand results confirmed the emerging idea of the Australian team about how healthy churches work.
At the time of the 2001 NCLS, parallel projects were launched in the USA (USCLS), England (CLS-UK) and New Zealand (CLS-NZ), under the banner of the International Congregational Life Survey. These projects also used the Australian National Church Life Survey as the foundational model.
Since 2001, New Zealand has conducted a simplified variation of the CLS-NZ in 2007 and in 2011. Wave 2 of the USCLS was also conducted by the USA project team in 2008 and 2009.
Following pilot projects, wider application of the Australian-born National Church Life Survey model has also taken place in South Africa and in the Netherlands.
