ABSTRACT
Religious institutions were the most important resources that immigrant groups used to reproduce their ethno-religious identity in new surroundings and to help them adjust to the challenges of surviving in a demanding and often threatening environment. In the course of immigration and settlement, immigrants commonly transplant their traditional religious institutions in their new land. Rather than recreating religious structures as they existed in their home countries, however, both "old" and "new" immigrants adapt their religions to social conditions of the host country. In contrast to denominational hierarchies, congregationalism focuses on the local community as a congregation, which includes the increased voluntary participation of members in religious functions, a lay-centered community, and multiple functions of the religious community. Immigrant congregations are no longer just sites for religious worship; they are assuming multiple functions, including both religious and secular classes, provision of social services, recreational centers, and social spaces for civic functions such as voting and citizenship classes.
