The differences between actions and desires: The role of religious congregations in national crises and disasters

Abstract

AbstractDuring the last few decades in the handling of ongoing crises and preparing for future crises, governments and other public authorities increasingly emphasize the important role religious organizations can play in crises and disaster management. Considering this development, it is appropriate to ask whether the expectations by policymakers are mirrored by the religious organizations themselves? This article aims to answers this question by studying both the organizations' desired role in time of national crises and disasters and the actual role taken by local congregations in Sweden during the Covid‐19 pandemic. It also aims to study whether this differs in relation to organizational differences and religious affiliation. The study clearly shows that 8 out of 10 congregations believe they have an important role to play in the event of a disaster or crisis. However, despite the high level of willingness, the role congregations take may not always mirror the governments expectations. In terms of differences between congregations, although cross‐religious differences are noted, the size of the organization is the critical factor. The article concludes by discussing the disparity between policymakers' expectations and the willingness of organizations as well as the complexity of policymakers assuming that non‐profit organizations will help unequivocally.