Churchgoers say their churches are working to be ethnically diverse, but many believe more can be done

Although pastors are doing more to encourage racial reconciliation and churchgoers say their church is doing enough to be ethnically diverse, nearly half of churchgoers say their church needs to become more ethnically diverse.

In a survey of American churchgoers, 49% say their church needs to become more ethnically diverse. At the same time, nearly 7 in 10 say their church is doing enough to be ethnically diverse.

“When a church is largely one ethnicity, making progress toward ethnic diversity is not easy. Yet that doesn’t mean many of these churches are not trying,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research.

For some, these two things are connected. African American churchgoers, churchgoers who attend a worship service one to three times a month, and those without evangelical beliefs are the most likely to say their church needs to become more ethnically diverse. And these groups are among the least likely to say their church is doing enough to be ethnically diverse. 

Denominationally, Methodist and Restorationist movement churchgoers are most likely to agree their church needs to become more ethnically diverse. And about 6 in 10 Baptists and Lutherans agree their church is doing enough to be ethnically diverse.

Age and gender are also factors in a person’s perception of ethnic diversity in the church. The youngest adult churchgoers—those aged between 18 and 49—are more likely than those older to agree their church needs to become more ethnically diverse. And females are somewhat less likely than males to say their church is doing enough to be ethnically diverse.

Lifeway Research asked U.S. Protestant pastors about their engagement in a variety of practices to encourage racial reconciliation. In the past three months, most pastors have discussed racial reconciliation with leaders in their church and spent time socializing with neighbors of other ethnicities. More than 2 in 5 have led times of corporate prayer for racial reconciliation, preached on racial reconciliation, invested church funds in changing local economic inequalities, and met regularly with pastors of other ethnicities. Only about 1 in 6 have led a public lament over racial unrest or injustice in the past three months. And 1 in 12 pastors said they had not engaged in any of these activities to encourage racial reconciliation.

Compared to a 2016 Lifeway Research study, more pastors are socializing with neighbors of other ethnicities, discussing the issue with church leaders, meeting regularly with pastors of other ethnicities, and investing church funds in changing local economic inequalities. However, fewer pastors today are leading times of corporate prayer for racial reconciliation or leading public laments over racial unrest or injustice.

“It’s encouraging to see pastors increasingly engaged in many activities that foster racial reconciliation,” McConnell said. “Perhaps the most surprising is the growth in the number of churches engaged financially in righting economic inequalities.”

Demographics such as age and ethnicity are factors in a pastor’s likelihood of engaging in some of these activities. Pastors over 65 are the least likely to socialize with neighbors of other ethnicities, while Hispanic pastors are among the most likely. Pastors over 65 are also the least likely to meet regularly with pastors of other ethnicities. African American pastors are the most likely to invest church funds in changing local economic inequalities and among the most likely to lead a public lament over racial unrest or injustice.

Mainline pastors are more likely than evangelicals to engage in many of these practices. 

Denominationally, Methodist and Presbyterian/Reformed pastors are more likely than Baptist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, Restorationist movement or non-denominational pastors to invest church funds in changing local economic inequalities.

Lifeway Research also asked when Protestant pastors last had a meal with fewer than 10 people that included someone of another ethnicity. More than 2 in 5 say they had done so in the last week, and 27% had done so in the last month.

Compared to 2016, pastors today are slightly less likely to have had a small group meal with someone of another ethnicity in the last six months.

“It is possible that COVID-19 broke some habits of pastors dining with people of other ethnicities,” McConnell said. “Two groups whose churches were closed the longest during the pandemic, African American and mainline pastors, also have a few more pastors who haven’t had a meal with someone of another ethnicity in the last year.”