Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Religion & Law Blogs -> Religion Clause

Religion & Law

: Religion Clause

Study Shows Faith-Based Initiative Increased Interest, But Not Social Services By Congregations

By Howard M. Friedman

An interesting post at Call & Response blog yesterday by Duke University Prof. Mark Chaves, Director of the National Congregations Study, analyzes the actual impact of President George W. Bush's Faith-Based Initiative on religious congregations. He concludes that:

data from 1998 and 2006-07 show that neither the overall percent of congregations that report social services (82% in 2006), nor the percent with a staff person devoting at least quarter-time to social services (11%), nor the percent who received government funding (4%), have increased since 1998. Not even the level of collaboration (whether or not money is involved) between congregations and government or secular nonprofit organizations increased.....

Despite this stability in congregational social service activity, ... congregational interest in social services increased since 1998. The number of congregations that would like to apply for government money to support social service programs increased from 39% in 1998 to 47% in 2006-07. The number of congregations who hosted a speaker from a social service organization increased from 22 to 31%. And the number who recently conducted a community needs assessment jumped from 37 to 48%. These are impressive increases, probably representing an increased level of congregational interest in social services generated by media attention to faith-based initiatives and by the mistaken belief by some congregational leaders that there would be government money specifically set aside to support congregations? human service activities.

More data for the National Congregations Study is in the June 2009 Report titled: American Congregations at the Beginning of the 21st Century. ABP News also reports on Chaves' conclusions.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 09, 2010 (boomark / email).