ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses on race in religious organizations by examining racial group differences in belonging and participation in congregations. Race plays a primary sorting function in voluntary groups, especially congregations. Because of the formative influence of race/ethnicity on congregational culture, it stands to reason that members of the largest racial group would possess greater congregational commitaent than those of other races. The majority of voluntary organizations in the Unites States, including religious congregations, specialize by race in order to attract and retain participants. A number of studies utilize organizational ecology theory to explain racial homogeneity and the challenges of heterogeneity in congregations. The greater sense of belonging felt by those in the largest racial group of a congregation often is accompanied by increased levels of participation. The primary individual-level independent variable in the study of multiracial congregations is whether or not a respondent is a part of the numerically largest racial group within a congregation.
