Which churches are more likely to serve their neighbours?

According to Greenberg (2000), the Catholic and the black churches that have maintained a strong commitment to service provision infused with social action initiatives are more likely to engage in their social welfare ministry than white evangelical or mainline churches. Along with such factors as the size and revenue of congregation and the ideology and leadership of clergy, ethnicity also impacts the level of congregational involvement in social problems. For example, an empirical study showed that African American congregations have been more active in economic development of the community (Reese & Shields, 2000). Thus, the overall effectiveness of the Bush administrations’ Faith-Based Community Initiatives depends largely on its ability to mobilize diverse groups of faith communities including inter-faith coalitions that transcend the barriers of religious and ideological differences and bridge many existing gaps in the socioeconomic fabric of the American society.

Doe, S. S. (2001). Faith-based community organizations for increasing global social capital. Dialogue & Alliance, 17(2), 93-122.