Ethnic Churches | Church of the Nazarene Presence in the Great Lakes Megaregion 1900-2014

7/29/2015

Credit: Unity Amidst Diversity, eddypua, CC BY 3.0

198 ethnic churches in the Church of the Nazarene. 12.4% of all the Churches of the Nazarene in the Great Lakes megaregion (1,593).

"Ethnic churches" are defined as being "non-White" and/or "non-English speaking."

31% of these churches have 75 worshipers or more attending regular worship services.

166 current pastors oversee these churches. (19% are female)

12,949 members are part of these churches. This number is about 3.3% of the Nazarene membership in this megaregion.

Districts with Ten+ Ethnic Churches
Chicago Central - 30
Canada Central - 28
Prairie Lakes - 22
Kansas City - 14
Canada Quebec - 14
Iowa - 13
Illinois - 10
Southwestern Ohio - 10

Less than Ten in Each District
East Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Indianapolis, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Central Ohio, Northeastern Indiana, Northern Michigan, Northwest Indiana, Northwestern Illinois, Northwestern Ohio, Pittsburgh, South Central Ohio, Southwest Indiana, Upstate New York, Wisconsin

Earliest Organized
Southwestern Ohio District
Cincinnati Clifton Avenue
Organized 1925
Membership - 239
Attendance - 20

Most Recently Organized Missouri District
St Louis Bridge of Hope
Organized 2013
Membership - 93
Attendance - 47

Of the ethnic churches in the Great Lakes megaregion,
40% are Hispanic (79)
18% are Multicultural (35)
13.6% are Black (27)
10% are Asian (Korean, Chinese, Tamil, Cambodian, Vietnamese - 20)
7% are Haitian or French (12 & 2)
4% are African immigrants (African, Liberian, Congolese, Ethiopian, Eritrean - 8)
3.5% are Native American (7)
2% are Arab (4)
1.5% are Armenian, Jewish, Russian, West Indian (4)

Note on the "Multicultural" category
The category of "multicultural" is too vague. After a cursory review of the churches in this category, some of the churches reflect urban diversity, such as the Montreal First, Toronto Rosewood, Cincinnati Clifton Avenue, Chicago Reach 77, and St. Louis Bridge of Hope. They might better be categorized as "urban" rather than "multicultural."

This designation also includes compassionate ministry centers which are not ethnic as much as affinity-based or need-based, such as the Kansas City Rescue Mission and Target Dayton.

Others could be designated by one of the specific ethnic categories, such as Lakota New Hope Ministries (Native American) or Iglesia del Nazareno Piedra Angular (Hispanic).

Just some suggestions in working through the data on ethnic churches.

According to a related study from Pew Research on racial diversity among U.S. religious groups published on July 27, 2015, the Church of the Nazarene reflects a membership that is 88% White with only 7% Latino and 2% Black. Nazarenes rank between Presbyterians and Unitarians on a diversity index. Assemblies of God ranks first among Evangelical Christian groups, and Methodists and Lutherans near the bottom of the list.

Ethnic Church Infograph

Great Lakes Megaregion Map

Source: www.America2050.org

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