The following quote is from the forward to Ethnic Blends: Mixing Diversity Into Your Local Church, a new book on the subject of multi-ethnic churches by Mark DeYmaz and Harry Li scheduled for release by Zondervan/Leadership Network in April 2010.
"In 1998, a national study of
American congregations found that just 5% of Protestant churches were racially
diverse (no one racial group is 80% or more of the congregation). No differences existed between large
churches (1000 or more attenders) and other churches. When this same study was conducted in 2007, a major change
was revealed. Large Protestant
churches were three times more
likely to be multiracial in 2007 than in 1998. And if we focus just on evangelical
churches, large congregations were
five times more likely in 2007 than in 1998 to be multiracial. This is seismic change in such a short
time. These changes have come
about do to a spiritual movement that has emerged and is discussed in Ethnic Blends. Large churches typically are the bellwether of change to
come throughout Christendom. More
change, then, is coming. An old
system is crumbling, and a new one—the multiracial congregation—is emerging."
Michael O. Emerson, Ph.D., Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology
Director, Center on Race,
Religion, and Urban Life / Rice University
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