The James Irvine Foundation and the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture hosted a two day conference in May for people working in and with religious
congregations to address civic issues. CAHRO was invited to attend the conference and participate in the conversations.
The Center itself has conducted extensive research into the
structure and impact of religious congregations in Los Angeles. It has found:
There are more religious congregations and affiliated non-profit corporations in central city neighborhoods than liquor stores, gas stations, and supermarkets combined. These congregations administer
services and act as an intermediary between the residents and agencies offering needed services. They serve as the place where residents can meet friends and celebrate cultural celebrations.
Roman Catholicism, the single largest religious institution in Los Angeles, experienced a 36% growth since 1980. 70% of the Roman Catholics in Los Angeles County are Latino with 60% of the Latinos speaking
Spanish as their primary language; The Church will be the primary religious faith in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.
Protestants make up only about a quarter of the Christians in the County and of that number less than a third attend mainline churches. Among Protestants over half are evangelical and 16% are Pentecostal and
the number is growing. Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism will be the primary growth area among Protestants as they continue to attract young families.
The Jewish community comprises about 10% of the population and of that number about a third are affiliated with temples and synagogues.
Forty percent of American Buddhists and Muslims reside in Southern California and they have been increasingly accepted as part of the faith community.
The social service and moral leadership roles attributed to congregations provided fuel for lively debates on the role of congregations in addressing many of the human relations issues affecting their
communities. Many of the debates that human relations organizations struggle with daily such as the danger of moral leadership by congregations being impacted by accepting government funding for public
services, the responsibility of the congregation to the residents in the community where the institution is located, the most effective community organizing modalities, and how best to support efforts to address
community issues.
The conference provided an opportunity for participants to share views and for people to begin to connect with one another. Efforts to build the capacity of congregations and network them
offered lessons that can be applied to the work of CAHRO.
