Latest Stats Confirm the Growing Movement!

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