With many churches predicted to close over the next 20 years and the increasing number of religious immigrants coming to the United States, this paper aims to illuminate pathways for ethnic Christian congregations to own church property. Using grounded theory methods, we illuminate case studies of five ethnic and one native congregation in Spokane, Washington State, USA. We find that congregations took multiple pathways to acquire property, typically following a five-phase church property acquisition process (CPAP). New congregations form (Phase I) and move into unstable spaces (Phase II). Eventually, congregations find stable space arrangements (Phase III) before entering the property acquisition process (Phase IV). If congregations purchase property, they learn to operate and maintain it (Phase V). These pathways repeat as new ethnic congregations plant or split from established churches. Although this process may be no different for native congregations, we highlight two theoretical implications that may be unique to ethnic congregations. First, with cultural repertoires operating in the background, congregations intertwine religious and secular logics throughout the CPAP to justify their decisions. Second, each of our cases required accommodations to make property acquisition equitable and accessible. Our findings provide avenues for future research, enrich the church redevelopment literature, and benefit ethnic religious leaders.
Disabilities and mental health conditions are common among adolescents, yet little is known about how youth ministry leaders encounter and approach this population. We surveyed 184 Christian youth ministry leaders across 37 states regarding the presence of these youth within their congregations, as well as their confidence and feelings related to implementing inclusive ministry practices. Nearly all leaders reported the presence of youth with various disabilities and mental health conditions within their ministries. However, they expressed mixed confidence across inclusive ministry roles, particularly in areas related to community outreach, teaching practices, and navigating behavior challenges. Overall confidence was higher for leaders who had relevant prior coursework. We identified four profiles of leaders in relation to inclusive ministry: (a) equipped and engaged, (b) open but nervous, (c) committed but overextended, and (d) eager but unsure. These profiles differed with regard to overall confidence and were associated with each leader's own disability or mental heath experiences. Although ministry leaders are called to serve young people with disabilities and mental health conditions, they may need more guidance and confidence to do so effectively. We highlight research and practice aimed at spurring more accessible and supportive ministry practices for all youth.
While clergy may passionately discuss many topics of religious thought and practice, many struggle when talking about financial literacy and the financial needs of their own congregation. Too few studies examine this gap and religious leaders’ struggle in addressing financial issues. Leveraging the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study utilizes exploratory interviews and survey results from a sample of U.S. based clergy. This study finds that financial knowledge and prioritization precede the three dimensions of TPB, which in turn strongly influence financial literacy intentions and actual financial literacy behaviors. However, intention and behavior only weakly predict increases in financial appeal behaviors in the form of presenting needs and asking for support. To our knowledge, this study is the first to provide empirical evidence of the relationships that these antecedents have with elements of TPB, and TPB’s relationships with financial literacy intention as well as financial literacy and appeal behaviors. These findings contribute to the religious management literature on attitudes toward questions of financial literacy and appeals.
