In 1996 the General Assembly approved a goal of 20 percent racial ethnic membership for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) by 2010. At that time, the actual proportion was 6 percent.
Five years later, large majorities of members (93 percent) and elders (84 percent), and sizeable minorities of pastors (34 percent) and specialized clergy (45 percent), are not even aware of this goal, according to a recent Presbyterian Panel survey (November 2000). And the racial ethnic share of membership remains at 6 percent.
Few Presbyterians are optimistic that the PC(USA) will reach the 20 percent goal. Only 2 percent of members and specialized clergy, and 1 percent of elders and pastors, think it is very likely to be achieved. And the likely responses aren't much larger: 8 percent, 3 percent, 6 percent, and 4 percent, respectively. In fact, half of members and majorities of elders (54 percent), pastors (68 percent), and specialized clergy (71 percent) believe achieving the 20 percent goal is either not too likely or not likely at all.
Panelists also express little enthusiasm for the PC(USA) "contributing significantly more money and resources toward reaching this goal." Among members, 22 percent favor such increases, while 46 percent oppose them; the remaining third are not sure. Even among pastors, only 41 percent favor putting more resources toward this goal, while 32 percent oppose such a step and 27 percent are not sure.
Much of this tepid support evaporates when a qualifier is added so the question reads: "Would you continue to favor a significant increase in money and resources for this goal even if it meant taking resources away from other PC(USA) programs?" Under this condition, the percentage who support increasing resources toward the 20 percent racial ethnic membership goal drops to 10 percent among members, 15 percent among elders, 26 percent among pastors, and 35 percent among specialized clergy.
Increased resources or not, what strategy might the PC(USA) best use in trying to achieve the 20 percent goal? Of five choices presented to panelists, the favorite is clearly "helping existing racial ethnic congregations to grow," selected as the first or second choice by a majority in every sample (e.g., members, 55 percent; pastors, 52 percent). The least-favorite choice among laity is "starting new churches or fellowships among immigrant groups," ranked as last or next-to-last by a majority of elders (51 percent) and 48 percent of members. Among clergy, however, the least- favorite tactic is "encouraging mostly white congregations, wherever located, to make greater efforts to reach out to racial ethnic persons" (67 percent of pastors and 62 percent of specialized clergy ranked this approach last or next to last).
Together, these responses paint a bleak outlook. As a denomination, we have a goal that few are aware of and most don't think is sufficiently worthwhile to merit a shift in resources. If that weren't bad enough, the most-favored approach to goal attainment puts the burden of racial ethnic growth on the relatively small number of racial ethnic congregations. In 1999, congregations with 40 percent or more racial ethnic members comprised only 10 percent of the national total and had only 5 percent of all PC(USA) members.
The church has accomplished important things against great odds. Achieving the 20 percent racial ethnic membership goal is not impossible. As a start I suggest a large dose of basic education to make more people aware of the goal and the reasons it is needed. Accompanied by prayer lots of prayer.
Q-1. Would you favor the PC(USA) contributing significantly more money and resources
toward reaching this goal?
Q-2. Would you continue to favor a significant increase in money and resources for this goal
even if it meant taking resources away from other programs?
A summary of results from the November 2000 Presbyterian Panel on Racism and Racial Justice is available online.
Email the author: Jack Marcum
Research Services