Diverse Congregations Research Articles

Racially Diverse Congregations: Organizational Identity and the Accommodation of Differences

Racial integration in religious congregations is a topic of keen interest to researchers and religious leaders. Although not common, there are congregations that successfully reach across cultural lines to attract adherents. Prior studies tend to dichotomize congregations into categories of multiracial and nonmultiracial and, thereby, miss a wider range of racial variation. Using nationally representative congregational data, this article paints a more representative picture of racial diversity in U.S. congregations and puts forward a theory of congregational identity to account for why some congregations succeed at accommodating multiple racial groups in a society where religious life remains overwhelmingly segregated. The analysis capitalizes on a numeric scale of diversity, which measures the evenness of racial group representation in a congregation. While the external environment creates opportunity for racial diversification in congregations, findings demonstrate racially diverse leadership, charismatic worship, and small groups as internal congregational features also relevant to diversity.

Exploring the Attraction of Local Congregations to Community Organizing

This article explores why certain churches have become engaged in local faith-based community organizing at a time when the majority of congregations are not politically active and many of their denominational lobbying offices have come under heavy fire. It is based on interviews with the pastors of 15 congregations actively engaged in faith-based community organizing in three cities. The results suggest that community organizing fits into congregations’ localized priorities, with the majority of the pastors expressing primarily local concerns. Organizing has led to tangible community improvements, especially within poorer communities that are often excluded from professionalized forms of civic engagement. It has strengthened congregations’ social service efforts, which appear to be more extensive than is the norm. However, the most frequently cited benefit was the creation of relational bonds among diverse congregations.