Although Scripture teaches us that God’s love and salvation is for all, America still struggles with conflict along racial and ethnic lines. Events over the last decade have brought racial concerns to the forefront of our public and private discourse. The difficult conversations occurring across our country are necessary, especially in our churches.
Today, the fact remains that within most congregations a single racial or ethnic group predominates. To understand why, CBE researchers investigated the experiences and attitudes of regular church attenders and pastors towards race, diversity, and the church.
What We Found
While 59% of adults surveyed across the United States attend a church that is not racially or ethnically diverse, they believe the church body largely reflects its surrounding community. These attenders were the most likely to say their church is doing enough. They are also the least likely to feel that their church needs to do more to be diverse. The remaining group is evenly split between those who attend a diverse church and those who attend a church that is not diverse and does not reflect the surrounding community.
Regardless of church type, the majority of respondents and pastors say that racial reconciliation is important to them personally. Respondents who attend racially and ethnically diverse churches more strongly agreed that their church promotes social justice, encourages congregants to be active in social justice, intentionally promotes racial diversity, and that racial reconciliation is an important issue in their church and community. Not surprisingly, they were also more likely to agree that their church needs to become more racially and ethnically diverse.
The opinions of pastors generally resemble those of congregants who attend diverse churches. They strongly endorsed the statement that racial reconciliation is important to them personally, suggesting that their opinions represent those most attuned to and passionate about these issues.
Church attenders attribute a lack of diversity in congregations to the fact that communities are often still segregated. People prefer what is comfortable and familiar, and many favor a specific worship style. Pastors and congregants both see a need for everyone to reach out beyond their comfort zones and beyond the walls of their church.
Both church attenders and pastors emphasized that God has created all people and that Jesus died for everyone. Others spoke of the need to keep those truths central and to work to completely accept people. However, some took this truth to mean we should ignore racial and ethnic differences altogether. Others saw the need to acknowledge different lived realities, while also maintaining unity.
About the Study
In June 2020, CBE conducted online surveys with 409 church attenders and 70 pastors across the United States. The 409 respondents to the congregants’ survey were recruited from those who use a Bible engagement app, and the vast majority of respondents (82%) typically attend church weekly.
Church Attenders
As Figure 1 illustrates, our congregant sample resembles the United States adult population well in terms of race. Sixty-three percent of U.S. adults are white and 12% are African-American/Black (Kids Count Data Center, 2020). This is quite similar to our 68% and 15%, respectively. However, our sample does underrepresent Hispanic/Latino church attenders (5% vs. 16% in the population).
Our participants largely represent frequent church attenders. Half attend church weekly and 30% typically attend more than once a week.
Pastors
A total of 70 pastors completed our online survey. Seventy-nine percent are white and 15% are African-American. The majority (76%) lead a smaller church with less than 250 adults in attendance. Given the small sample size, the results for pastors should be considered exploratory.
Diversity & Community Representation
We asked participants in our survey to describe how diverse their churches are and whether that is representative of their community.
Combining data from these two questions, CBE researchers found:
59% attend a church that is not very diverse (representative of the community)
20% attend a church that is diverse (representative of the community)
21% attend a church that is not very diverse (not representative of the community)
African American and white church attenders differ in how they describe their churches. As Figure 5 illustrates, African American congregants are more likely to attend a church that is racially diverse or one that is not diverse and not representative of the surrounding community.
Why Are Churches Still Racially Segregated?
We used an open-ended question to solicit congregants’ opinions on why churches are still racially segregated. Responses centered on three themes:
Communities are not diverse.
People prefer the comfort of the familiar.
Different worship styles contribute to segregation.
The lack of diversity in the church's town or city was the most common response. For example, participants said:
“Not sure but most is because of the community, if the community is not that diverse the church won't be either.”
“My church is in a very rural, predominantly white community. We have a few members of different ethnicities but it is difficult to be a racially diverse church in an area that is not racially diverse.”
“I’m not sure . . . I guess because we, in a sense, still live in segregated communities/neighborhoods”
A second theme focused on people’s tendency to prefer the comfort of the familiar. Responses with this theme include:
“Church is family and we are more comfortable with people with the same culture and beliefs. Race seems to give us a different culture and experiences so we tend to go where our friends and family go. Not that it is the correct thing to do but that is human tendency.”
“Lack of opening up to each other and coming together. Being comfortable or complacent in ‘how things have been for years and years’ and not overtly welcoming or making it known that a place of worship encourages all people to gather.”
“Because people are comfortable and not thinking primarily as Christians first but identifying with their ‘cultural’ norms.”
A related theme identified the nature of Church itself. Many respondents felt that different worship styles contributed to separations along racial and ethnic lines:
“Historically, we were segregated, and developed different styles of worship. When segregation ended, the cultural separation did not.”
“I think different styles of preaching and singing feel more comforting and familiar than others to different peoples. That's it.”
“Because our cultures are different. We worship differently.”
What Can the Church Do Better?
Regarding what the Church can do better to promote racial reconciliation, both respondents and pastors described the need to reach beyond church walls and beyond our own comfort levels. For example, church attenders said:
“Join with a church of completely different race and culture for monthly get togethers to worship and relate to one another. Build relationships intentionally.”
“I think the churches need to speak out more for discrimination issues. They need to let people know that they want to be culturally diverse. I think most Christians accept people of other races. Maybe have meetings about it with the different churches and people getting together. I would love to be a part of that. Maybe I could seek out some of the church leaders to see what they are doing?”
Similarly, pastors responded:
“We must make reaching across racial differences a priority in services, communication and outreach.”
“Ministry outside of the church needs to focus on all communities and all types of people. When we can build relationships outside of our churches with people who aren’t just like us then we will be more likely to desire to worship together.”
Both church attenders and pastors emphasized that God has created all people and that Jesus died for all, as well. Many spoke of the need to keep those truths central and to work to completely accept people. However, some took this truth to mean that we should ignore racial and ethnic differences altogether. Others saw the need to acknowledge different lived realities, while also maintaining unity. For example:
“Not focus on the topic... just try to select diverse groups where possible... the truth is that racial reconciliation is only achieved when race is not even a factor. It does not come to our thoughts, words or actions because we do not put any race higher or lower. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.”
"Respect and involve everyone that is united in Christ Jesus—all are welcome! Embrace the differences that are not contrary to sound doctrine and celebrate God's amazing creation! Our pastor brought out something that I had never heard explained before. He referred to God dividing the people and confusing their languages when they pursued their proud aspiration building the Tower of Babel. But through the Holy Spirit, he explained that Acts 2 pictures God bringing us back together, in Christ. "...if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." John 12:32 NIV
Pastors frequently mentioned the role preaching could play in promoting racial reconciliation:
“Focus on promoting the Biblical concept that there is only one race—the human race—and living it out without noting so-called racial differences. God has created all people equally in his image, Christ died equally for all peoples, in Christ all are one body, and the Great Commission calls us to reach all peoples.”
“Getting back to the scripture and living out Ephesians 2 and 4. Understanding that there are no separate races, only separate ethnicity and culture. A better Biblical view of humanity and realizing that our real enemy is not flesh and blood.”
“Identify biblical truth concerning race and regularly speak from the pulpit or within discipleship groups about being racially diverse.”
A final recommendation from survey respondents gave practical advice on how churches can make their environments more inclusive:
“Making direct and welcoming statements that encourage new members of the community of all ethnicities and backgrounds to join. Including teachings on racial reconciliation, acceptance, love, etc.”
“Be more welcoming and ready to adapt. We need to be more flexible.”
Unity through Scripture
Woven throughout their survey responses, we can see that the words of the Bible played a key role in how congregants and pastors approach questions of race and social justice. They may not have all reached similar conclusions, as evident by the differing views on whether to ignore racial and ethnic differences or to acknowledge and seek to build unity. Still, Scripture provides Christ-followers a common language and truth when addressing issues such as race and ethnicity.
When asked what role the Bible and Bible engagement could play in addressing racial reconciliation and social justice in the church, pastors used words such as “huge,” “tremendous,” and “prominent.” Elaborating on this perspective, they said:
“A tremendous role. The Bible tells the story of the heart of God as revealed through Christ that He loves us enough to reconcile sinful people to Himself who is holy. He has given the church the ministry of reconciliation. We are to continue the reconciling work of Christ in our world. The Bible provides us with how to do so.”
“The Bible is a book that promotes diversity and should be used as a fundamental guideline for diversity.”
Conclusion
CBE wanted to contribute to current discussions about race by providing empirical data on how pastors and regular (or consistent) church attenders view the issues. In some areas, the Church actively engages with their community about social issues, including race relations. Others distance themselves from racial concerns, emphasizing that God’s grace applies to all.
Although the racial issues in the U.S. are complex, it’s encouraging to see a commonality across church attenders’ responses to seek God’s guidance through His Word:
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28)
See related CBE research:
See related topics from Our Daily Bread Ministries:
A Prayer for a Difficult Conversation (Reclaim Today)
Comentários