Churches Are More Diverse but Talking Less About Diversity

Over the past decade, churchgoers are more likely to see someone of a different ethnicity in their congregation but less likely to hear about racial diversity from the pulpit.

A Lifeway Research study of US Protestant pastors found churches have seemingly grown more diverse, while pastors have grown less likely to see diversity as a goal and to preach about racial reconciliation.

“American congregations have a long history of being comprised of almost entirely one ethnicity. The reasons reflect both social tendencies and historical factors such as repercussions from slavery [and] waves of immigration from specific regions and denominations,” said